Shorecrest Students Plunge into Japanese Culture

On June 30, 39 Shorecrest High School students and chaperones embarked on the trip of their lives to the cities of Osaka and Hiroshima in Japan. The trip was intended to expose the students to a dissimilar culture and allow them to practice their Japanese with those who speak the language fluently.

The students spent a great deal of time fundraising prior to the trip. Efforts included a piano benefit concert, matching funds with local businesses, a raffle, coffee sale, selling wreaths with a Japanese message and bracelets. Panda Express also donated a percentage of a week’s profits to the students’ cause.

Students took full advantage of the trip, immersing themselves into the Japanese culture from the start. Many learned how to draw Manga (Japanese cartoons) in a class at the Kyoto International Manga Museum, and also had the opportunity to visit a Samurai village in Kyoto where several Samurai movies are filmed.

Perhaps one of the most influential segments of the trip was the visit to the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum. “It was a powerful, moving, and meaningful experience,” chaperone Vince Santo Pietro said. “There were A-bomb survivors working as guides who engaged us in conversations and answered questions.” An 80-year-old survivor of the atomic bomb shared her remarkable experiences with the students, prompting a somber and sympathetic mood.

The trip included numerous opportunities to interact with Japanese students. They visited the Higashisumiyoshi High School where they quickly made friends and participated in classes. “I learned a lot of Osaka Ben [Osaka slang] that young people there use daily,” said Senior Zahra Masaoka. Various performing arts classes were observed as well.

As if visiting the high school wasn’t enough, the students were bestowed with the unique experience of staying in the homes of Japanese families for four days. “The family I stayed with was super polite, attentive, and very willing to accept me. They made an amazing effort to get to know me despite the language barrier, and really made me feel wanted,” senior Annie Yi said.

Many of the students remain in contact with their host families, using social networking tools such as Skype and Facetime to communicate.

Senior Melissa Tran resided with child welfare for the entirety of her home-stay. The kids were all orphans who had been abandoned, abused, unwanted, or the parents could not financially support them. Japanese orphans generally live in child welfare until they are 18, and therefore never have the experience of living in a genuine Japanese home.

“When I was there, all the kids acted as if they were a family,” Tran recalled. “At first I thought it was really scary, but at the end of the trip, the kids told me I changed their lives.”

In addition to an enjoyable experience, the students were able to bring back a lot of valuable knowledge.

“I was most surprised by how friendly the Japanese people were with foreigners. Say one word in English, and people clamored to shake hands and take pictures with you,” said Yi.

Masaoka found the lack of trends in clothing to be very refreshing.

“It showed a lot of creativity in the culture. I wish it was like that all around the world.”

The overall trip was best summarized by chaperone Santo Pietro. “It was remarked that this meeting helps toward understanding each other’s culture and perhaps if everyone would do such exchanges, it might help world peace.” This thrilling and informational trip will unlikely be forgotten by all who participated.

If you would like to see a more detailed description of the trip itself, visit http://www.wce.org/LatestNews3.html. Additional pictures from the trip can be found at http://schools.shorelineschools.org/shorecrest/world_languages/J2J2011/index.html.