Tinian welcomes 13 students from Hiroshima

The Tinian Junior Senior High School welcomed 13 students and two teachers from their sister-school Koryo High School in Hiroshima, Japan. The 15 guests from Hiroshima represent the fourth time that students from the private high school had visited the island of Tinian.

This year’s guests from Hiroshima include students Junya Kanayama, Yuto Hiyama, Mio Kanetada, Mai Kobayashi, Natsumi Kimura, Naoko Yamada, Kana Yamamoto, Kyoko Wakai, Saki Takano, Hitomi Egi, Taki Shimokon, Chiho Nomura, Yui Maezono and teachers Mathew Branch and Morihide Yonemasu.

The guests from Hiroshima were met at the Tinian harbor by students and faculty of Tinian High School and then bused to a welcome dinner at the Kammer beach main pavilion.

During the welcome dinner, students from Koryo High School were formally greeted by Eric San Nicolas and Board of Education chair Lucy Blanco-Maratita. Japanese teacher Keiko Manglona served as translator during the welcoming events that featured remarks from student representatives from both high schools.

After the welcoming remarks, Koryo High School students were then introduced to their host students. The students from Japan will have the opportunity to experience island life by staying with Tinian students and their respective families for four nights.

When asked what value such cultural exchange programs represent, Blanco-Maratita said, “Cultural awareness and resetting tolerance is the key to world peace. Thus, this exchange between Tinian High School and Koryo High School is vital to teaching our kids to be tolerant, respectful, and accepting of other cultures. We hope that peace begins with these students.”

For Koryo High School teacher Morihide Yonemasu, his first trip to Tinian was something special. His father, who had passed away last year at the age of 89, was a Japanese soldier who served in the South Pacific islands.

“I feel like my father would have told me, ‘You should see the areas where I had been when I was young’ and encouraged me to see these beautiful islands,” says Yonemasu. When asked how he felt the students will view this trip, he said “These new experiences, learning from a different culture through interaction, is a very good thing and very exciting for our students.”

During their stay on Tinian, the Koryo High School students and teachers will take part in island tours and cultural exchange activities such as origami, coconut weaving.

Students from Koryo High School will also take part in the 6th Annual Tinian Nagasaki Hiroshima Peace Ceremony, and will take part in a special performance by Koryo High School during the evening Candlelight Peace Vigil on Aug. 6. [B][I](PR)
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