TOMODACHI Fukushima Youth Cultural Exchange Program Takes Eight Japanese Youth to Experience America

 

From July 19-29, 2015, eight youths from Fukushima Aiikuen children’s home, Aoba Gakuen, Iwaki Ikueisha, Aizu Jidouen, and Shirakawa Gakuen traveled to Los Angeles, California for an interactive cultural exchange experience. These “pioneers” of cultural exchange and international cooperation, many of whom were the first from their respective orphanage homes to travel abroad, were able to have a “life-changing experience” in the States where they became more aware of international perspectives and furthered their interest in U.S.-Japan relations.

The children were heavily immersed into American culture as they had the opportunity to stay with an American homestay family. The genuine experience gave the children a unique insight and deeper understanding of American lifestyle and culture through these people-to-people connections.

Experiencing American culture went further than their great homestays. Beginning with a warm welcoming dinner with authentic American cuisine, the kids enjoyed an action-packed week filled with sightseeing and historical activities. Throughout the week, the children soaked in the Southern Californian sun at Huntington Beach with surfing lessons and campfires; rooted for the local baseball team at the Angel Stadium, and visited Disneyland. Furthermore, the children were able to get in touch with some history through their interactions with the Japanese-American community. Visits to Little Tokyo and the Japanese American National Museum provided them with a dialogue of the Japanese community in the United States and their “Watermelon Tour” at Tanaka Farms, a renowned Japanese American working farm enabled them to learn about the contributions of Japanese Americans in the field of agriculture.

The program concluded with a tearful send off at the Los Angeles International Airport as the children boarded their plane back to Japan. The children were now transformed by their experiences and obtained a deeper understanding of the United States and hopefully have triggered their interests to become global citizens.

This program was possible due to the generous contributions by the TOMODACHI Fund for Exchanges including Toyota Motor Corporation, Mitsubishi Corporation and Hitachi, Ltd. TOMODACHI Initiative would also like to thank Delta Air Lines for serving as the official airline for this exchange.