Ten years of friendship and exchange with Kakuda City

Tokyo Tech's international students completed another successful homestay with families in Kakuda City, Miyagi Prefecture from February 20 to 23, 2018. This year, 16 students — eight Thais, three Indonesians, two Swedes, two Germans, and one Chinese — joined to celebrate 10 years of friendship and cultural exchange with the sister city of Tokyo's Meguro City, the location of Tokyo Tech's Ookayama Campus.

Organized by Tokyo Tech's Student Support Center in collaboration with Kakuda City, its Agriculture Development Corporation, and the Kakuda City Asian Farmers Friendship Forum, the 3-night, 4-day event kicked off with a welcome party for the students and homestay families. After a traditional greeting by Kakuda City Mayor Kisuke Otomo, the participants enjoyed traditional dances and songs performed by both local students and visiting international students.

As in the past, this year's program was divided into two main themes — visiting locations and experiencing local cuisine in Kakuda and its neighboring cities and towns, and spending time with local homestay families. Since 2012, the program has included expeditions to Yamamoto Town, which was devastated by the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and resulting tsunami. This year, the students visited Nakahama Elementary School — now a memorial for the 2011 disaster — and Yamamoto Strawberry Farm, a symbol of the revitalized strawberry production in the area. The students also visited local elementary schools and the factories and agricultural areas where local parents work. Upon return to the families' homes, some students returned the favor by cooking traditional meals for their hosts.

• Students from abroad enjoy homestay in farming village
• Homestay Program in Kakuda, A Farmers Village | Japanese Section
• Student Support Center | Organization | About Tokyo Tech
• Japanese Language and Culture Courses | Education | Institute for Liberal Arts