Okinawan exchange program: Scott and Watanabe experience a different side of Japan

By Cyanne Ito
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269736_197240066990230_100001127132742_527206_2689706_n — Scott and Watanabe (far right, second row) took part in an exchange program to Okinawa for 15 days. They were among 15 students from Hawaii who got to attend.

MHS has been participating in the Okinawan exchange program for over 10 years and this year, Seniors Kekoa Scott and Kelsi Watanabe got to spend June 10 to the 25 in Japan’s Okinawa prefecture with a host family. The Hawaii-Okinawa Student Exchange Program was designed to learn about the cultures of the world while fostering and sustaining the sister-state relationship between Hawaii and Okinawa.

“Think of it like Hawaii being Okinawa and the main island [of Japan being] America,” said Scott, comparing the lifestyle differences between America and Hawaii to those between Japan and Okinawa.

Application was different this year as it was sponsored and run by the Okinawan Center, instead of by the Department of Education (DOE), which stopped giving aid to the program. To get into the program students who applied had to write an essay and submit it with a picture of themselves. “Well in the past, it’s been through interviews with DOE but I guess this year Okinawan community people decided (who would go),” said Gail Nishimura, who has been helping with the program since she started working at MHS. “I got information from (another teacher) because we had chaperoned a group once, but other than that we wouldn’t have known (about the program this year),” said Nishimura.

There are usually 20 to 25 students from Hawaii that go every year but since this year is a transitional year due to the DOE dropping out, only about 15 went to Okinawa.

During their stay, they went to school and shadowed the student they were staying with. “Some of the classes were boring, but I had fun every day at school. I guess it was fun because I don’t have to learn the lesson so much, but I like talking to everybody, and they came up with a nickname for me and everything so it’s a really close community,” said Watanabe.

Scott went to Urasoe High School while Watanabe went to Koza High School. “The male to female ratio (at Urasoe High School) was like 80% female and 20% male, so in every class you’d have like 30 females and only like 10 boys,” said Scott. “So that was interesting and a little bit intimidating. (But the students are) very very nice, (so) even if you weren’t a foreigner they’d respect you.”

Other than going to school, they also did typical tourist activities like sightseeing. “We went to the aquarium and that’s like the world’s second largest aquarium. So that was pretty interesting cause (the Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium has) whale sharks,” said Watanabe. Both also got to experience the Shuri Castle and a World War II memorial park. “The hospitality and everything is much more than you would see in America,” said Scott.

While both seniors have been to Japan’s main island before this trip, both say that Okinawa’s relaxed lifestyle differs from Japan’s normally fast paced lifestyle. After this experience, both Watanabe and Scott hope to return to Okinawa again.