Area Students Return From Japan

The Chelsea-Shimizu Sister Cities Exchange Program has launched another year of furthering international understanding between two small towns on opposite sides of the globe. For the sixth year, a small group of middle school students and chaperoning adults have visited Hokkaido, the northern island of Japan and stayed with host families in the town of Shimizu.

This year's exchange students were Blair Lane, Chad Carlson, Jenna Connelly, Jason Hawley, John Lowry, Micki McMillen, Becca and Lisa Corsa. Accompanying them were Carol Blotter, Bruce Lowry and Dave Corsa.

Starting with a direct flight from Detroit to Osaka, the group visited Kyoto, the ancient capital of the Japan of the samurai and the Shogun. With visits to some of the historic royal palaces of feudal Japan, historic Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines, the Chelsea teens received an orientation to Japanese history, religious tradition and culture. Then leaving the bustling economic center of Japan's largest island, the group flew north into the cool climate of Hokkaido, past site of the Winter Olympics at Sapporo and more recently in the news for their erupting volcano. There they were met by a delegation from the Shimizu Board of Education. Transported directly to the chambers of the Town Council, the group was welcomed by the mayor and other municipal dignitaries. Later, at a formal reception in the Shimizu Cultural Center, the Americans were introduced to their host families and taken home to begin their emersion into Japanese life.

Although a number of organized cultural experiences and educational visits had been arranged, each Japanese family sought to introduce their country and their lifestyle to the foreign visitors. The students visited schools, were entertained by a corps of traditional folk drummers, and got lessons in Kendo sword fighting. Unique experiences for some of the youngsters were sushi, seaweed, and rice for breakfast. Others got to entertain their new friends with karaoke renditions of American music. Still others were taken to visit nearby mountains, lakes or ocean beaches.

The Chelsea-Shimizu Sister Cities Exchange Program was first proposed by Chelsea High School graduate Brian Oakley, who spent a year in Shimizu as a teaching assistant in English. Struck by the similarities between Shimizu and Chelsea, as well as Hokkaido and Michigan, he brought together several Japanese school administrators and former Chelsea School Superintendent, Joe Piasecki. In subsequent years, each October has brought a group of young Japanese people to Chelsea for weeklong stays in American homes. And each summer, Beach Middle School students have visited their sister city-and sister school-in Shimizu. Financial support for the exchange has come from private organizations, donations, and the fund raising efforts of involved students and their families.

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