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Program shows island life to Tokyo students
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Posted on Jul 26 2004
A group of students with ages ranging from 8 and 13 arrived Friday from Tokyo, Japan and are currently taking part in a weeklong student cultural exchange program coordinated by the Saipan Mayor’s Office.
According to David Rosario of the Mayor’s Office, 14 families on Saipan have voluntarily welcomed the 22 students and are currently hosting them in their homes. The group is part of the International Students’ Association of Japan.
“We asked for volunteers and were fortunate that these families came out to take part in the program,” he said. “Eight of the families sponsored two kids while six are sponsoring one child.”
The trip marked the 25th anniversary of the program, which began in 1979. The group is scheduled to return to Japan this Friday.
Rosario said in an interview yesterday that among the things the students showed interest in while on Saipan are sightseeing, shopping, and exploring the various beaches. Activities and tours are conducted by the Mayor’s office and a chaperone from Japan.
“The whole point of this exchange program is to promote culture and friendship,” he said. “These kids are now learning the cultures and the way of life on Saipan, and are building friendship and relationships with people here. They spend the night with their host families, and in the morning, are dropped off at the Mayor’s office. The families then pick them up late in the afternoon.”
Rosario said the exchange program continues this October, with students from private and public schools on Saipan to be invited to a one-week program in Japan.
“We are going to advertise it, and the only thing the students need to come up with is money for the roundtrip and pocket money. Other than that, all expenses are covered by the host families in Japan, just like all expenses for food, drinks, transportation, and rooms are provided for the guest students that are here,” he said.
The exchange program is just one of three programs coordinated by the Saipan Mayor’s Office. Another is scheduled this Thursday, with about 30 Japanese students expected to arrive, while the other occurs in December and features students from Korea.
