Japanese-American Cultural Exchange Program Experience

High School 2014 Diplomats dressed up for Halloween! Photo courtesy of the High School Diplomats Blog

Piano chords floated out into the crisp morning air as seventy-nine other high school students and myself  began raising and lowering our arms in the traditional Japanese Rajio Taiso workout.  “Two lines!” the counselors intoned, and, having finished stretching, we lined up next to our roommates and began chatting. “HSD Go! Ikimashou!” we shouted.

Ten days of my summer started this way. I was honored to have been chosen as a 2014 member of the High School Diplomats program, a Japanese-American cultural exchange hosted at Princeton University.  Forty American and forty Japanese students are paired with a roommate from the opposite culture, and complete many activities to explore each other’s cultures and daily lives, as well as discuss world issues.

The program was started by the AIU Insurance Company of Tokyo, and is also sponsored by the Freeman Foundation. The two companies work together to provide generous merit-based full-ride scholarships to all participants. According to the website, the program’s goals are “to spread international understanding among Japanese and American high school students… [and] foster the creation of meaningful and lasting friendships.”

A typical day in the program includes many opportunities to learn about each others’ culture. Presentations given by the students over topics such as education, social issues, regional characteristics, and government included in-depth information about the differences between the countries. An hour of language classes split up the two groups of students allowing many of the Americans with no Japanese background to learn basic words and phrases to try out with their roommates, while those that had taken Japanese previously could participate in bilingual discussions. Similarly, the Japanese students refined their English skills with the introduction of slang and idioms. The language classes were then followed by culture classes. Among other activities, the American students participated in a traditional tea ceremony and learned basic calligraphy.

The most highly-anticipated part of the day was in the evening, when theme-night activities were held. The Independence Festival, a celebration of American culture, was complete with line-dancing lessons, a trivia game, a dunking booth, a photo booth with George Washington cutout, and a pie eating-contest. Date Night, which simulated an American prom with dinner and a dance and Halloween, which included learning choreography to  Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” and roasting s'mores in our costumes were hits, especially with the Japanese students. My personal favorite,  Bunka No Hi, or the Japanese culture festival, afforded me the opportunity of dressing in the traditional yukata and learning both a traditional and then a J-pop dance, playing  Japanese childrens’ games, and watching a martial arts demonstration.

The major focus of the program is the roommate relationship. I was fortunate enough to be roommates with a 17 year-old from Tokyo, Momoka. We bonded very quickly, sharing a love of Harry Potter, a sense of humor, and, most importantly, a desire to learn about each other. It wasn’t always easy to be spending every moment of ten days with a person that had been a complete stranger from halfway around the world before the start. Language barriers also proved a problem for us, and required patience and hard work from both parties.Yet even through this, we were able to have fascinating conversations about history, our futures, beliefs, and more. It was incredible how strong of a friendship can be created in such a short period, and I feel so, so lucky to have met her.

With our roommates and the other participants, we went beyond the surface elements of the cultural differences to talk about deep differences in our societies. We also applied this knowledge and different thought processes to other world issues. During one theme day, entitled Diplomat Talks, we sat down and discussed in depth our views and ideas about poverty, women’s rights, and nuclear power.Conversations about these issues and others then continued spontaneously during meals and in free time

.One of the most fascinating and beautiful concepts that I took away about Japanese culture was how precise and deliberate it is. From the traditional tea ceremony, which required ceremonial and precise phrases and movements to allow everyone time for quiet reflection, to the deliberateness in which people choose their words to respect those around them, taking time to do things respectfully and correctly is a large element in the Japanese culture.

It was through these insights that I gained, in addition to the amazing activities and incredible people that I met that allows me to say with confidence that my experience at HSD lived up to its motto. I can honestly say that High School Diplomats was, “the best ten days of my life.”

The High School Diplomats 2015 program will be hosted at Princeton from July 28 through August 8! Interested in applying? High school sophomores and juniors can apply now on the program’s website.The application must be postmarked by January 7th, with an interview and then results of selection following.  Visit www.highschooldiplomats.com for more information.