REGINA — Fifty students from Regina and Japan are taking part in what organizers describe as a once-in-a-lifetime cultural exchange through the Regina-Fujioka Student Exchange Program.
Over the 10-day program, Grade 7 and Grade 8 students will explore Regina and communities across Saskatchewan while building friendships and learning about each other's cultures.
"We sort of group together and figure out what our 10 days are going to look like. Yesterday, they were in Weyburn at Trossachs Camp, where they did the summer camp, archery, water games and other activities," said Gilbert Proulx, former chair of the exchange program's board.
Host families work together to plan the itinerary, while students are selected based on their reasons for wanting to participate.
For Regina student Amorey O'Connor, the exchange is an opportunity to share her own experience of adapting to life in Canada with her Japanese partner.
"I was born in South Africa. It took me a while to adjust because it's very, very different in culture, climate, everything. Very cold here, but I got used to it after a year or two, and now I love it here," she said.
Japanese student Soma Sekine joined the program to experience Canadian culture firsthand. Speaking through a translator, he said he was surprised that Canadians drive on the opposite side of the road and use different words, such as saying "supper" instead of "dinner." He hopes the visit will give him a deeper understanding of the differences between the two countries.
For Regina student Puranjay Veer Pandit, the exchange is a chance to broaden his perspective.
"I wanted to see the world a bit more because Japan's a place with a lot of great culture, and I thought I'd like to see it," he said.
He believes cultural exchange offers lessons that extend beyond travel.
"Culture is something good which we can learn from to integrate into our daily life."
Japanese student Kanamae Miyazaki is already looking ahead to next year, when he hopes to welcome the Canadian students to Tokyo. Through a translator, he said the trip is helping him become more comfortable speaking English and preparing to be a good host.
Veer Pandit said meeting the Japanese students before travelling overseas next year will make the experience less intimidating.
"It feels better because you kind of build a relationship with your exchange student without actively having to be away from your family and living in a country where you don't know the language or anything."
In preparation for next year's visit, the Canadian students will also begin learning Japanese in the months leading up to the trip.
O'Connor believes the experience will create opportunities that extend far beyond the exchange itself.
"It's gonna open up a lot of doors for me because I'm gonna be able to understand people who don't only speak English. And it's just like an experience to understand other people's culture and how they have their everyday lives and everything like that."
The Regina-Fujioka Student Exchange Program has been running since 1993 as part of the long-standing friendship agreement between the City of Regina and the City of Fujioka, Japan. Proulx said organizers expect the program to continue strengthening cultural ties for many years to come.
