MEJIROGAKUEN

VOL.52

Mejiro Exchange
Mejiro University (Undergraduate, Postgraduate)
Mejiro University College
Mejiro Kenshin Junior and Senior High School

Mejiro Gakuen
4-31-1 Nakaochiai, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 161-8522 JAPAN
Tel. 03-5996-3131 http://mk.mejiro.ac.jp/

DEC 2015

Takapuna Students Visit Mejiro Kenshin
We thoroughly enjoyed our visit to Mejiro Kenshin Senior High School!
When we arrived, we were greeted warmly by our friends that werepreviously in our Japanese class as exchange students. It was great
catching up with them. Shortly after, we were given a tour of the school
campus. The campus is very beautiful and spacious. Inside, the classes
were very interesting and lively – especially the games we played when
we were included in the English classes. The students were very friendly
and wanted to see us. We felt like celebrities at the school!
We then attended a tea ceremony where we listened to traditional musicskillfully played on a koto. The music was fascinating. We tried eating
sweet mochi, followed by drinking freshly-brewed tea the traditional
way. Afterwards, we were once again greeted by our friends, where they
introduced us to their friends and we took pictures together. They werevery shy but warmed up to us shortly.
Overall, the school visit was extremely enjoyable and we would love tocome back again for a longer period of time!
Cameron Burton and Lucy Worsnop
Takapuna Grammar School

Group photo taken outside the school

Mejiro Kenshin Welcomes Harvard Students
and were similar to their lives at Harvard. The
Harvard and Mejiro students also shared personal
stories and got to know one another, such as
sharing music tastes, talking about their lives
growing up and how they were alike and different,
and so on and so forth.
Mejiro and Harvard students were interested
in how their school and college system differedfrom that of the other,
especially with regard towork ethic, extracurricular
activities, and particularly
how school systems
and college admissions
processes differed fromone country to the other.
Several Mejiro students also
expressed their desire toenter Harvard University as
well, to which the Harvard
students conveyed hopesthat the Mejiro students
would join them. The Harvard
students also explained tothe students what they were
Larry participating in a group discussion with Mejiro students

Three Harvard University students joined aclass of senior English students for a cultural
exchange on June 24th, welcomed by Mr. Ken
Ip, Ms. Haruko Morimoto, and several othermembers of staff. The students shared stories
about their lives in America and at Harvard
University with Mejiro students, and described
how their experiences in Japan both differeddoing in Japan and what they thought of andloved about Japan. As a result, students fromboth schools gained a greater understanding ofeach other’s culture and formed new friendships.
After getting to know one another, Mejiro
students proceeded to give presentations
on various aspects of Japanese culture,encompassing sports, food, and more. They
exhibited great skill in their English speech, andtheir presentations were quite interesting! Afterthe presentations, the students bade each otherfarewell, and the Harvard students were taken
on a brief tour of the school and were treated tolunch in the cafeteria!
The Harvard students would like to express their
thanks to Ms. Morimoto, Mr. Ip, Mr. Brown, andof course all the school staff and the Mejiro
students for making their visit a wonderful,enjoyable, and interesting experience of Japaneselife and culture, and will value their trip to Mejiro
Kenshin in the future for many years to come.
Larry Zhang
Harvard University

The Toyosai Festival
I’m very lucky to have had the opportunity to come to Japan. It was a great experience overall andI’ve met many great people here, and learnt some more Japanese! Something that really stood out
to me at Mejiro Kenshin was the school festival. Back home in Canada, we don’t have anything likeit. It was great seeing all the different things you could do, like little cafés, games and events thatwere all put on by the students. I helped my homeroom set up activities that small children could
do. I also got to walk around and eat some crepes, and try some candy kebab! The food was very
good. I also gave some presentations about my life back home in Canada. It was very difficult
speaking in Japanese at first, but it got better after a while.
While the school festival was great, I think the truly wonderful thing about being an exchange
student here is what I am able to take back with me. I’ve learnt more Japanese, made new friends,
am more culturally aware, and have plenty of stories to tell once I go home to Vancouver. Japan isa country that I will most definitely come back to!
Megan Rees
Rockridge Secondary School

Megan giving her presentation at the festival

The Towasai Festival

Junior 3 SEC Study Tour (Delta)

This year we, Team
“next” and exchange
students took part in
the Towasai festival
together as usual.
We separated into
two teams, Korea andChina, and each teammade preparations,cooked, and soldfood from their homecountries.
Some of the exchange
students had only been
Team “next” and exchange students working at their booths
in Japan for two months,
so this Towasai festival was the first event in which we joined forces.
We thought about what we should do to make this festival great, and worked
together to achieve that goal. Thanks to that, we could feel a sense ofaccomplishment when the festival finished. That was the best memory.
We want to try more new and fun things and continue making wonderful
memories.
Chisaki Harayama
4th Year, Department of Child Studies
Mejiro University

This summer I went to Canada to study English with my SEC (Super
English Course) classmates. This was a good experience for me because
not everyone can go and study abroad. We joined a summer school
program on our language study tour. I learned many things there, likehow to write a paragraph, work in groups, make presentations and readand understand long texts. At first, I could only understand a little bit ofwhat the teacher said and had a little difficulty writing paragraphs. The
girl who sat beside me taught me how. I learned how to write them, andmade a new friend. Because I was separated from my SEC classmates
I tried to talk to other students. I felt a little nervous, but everyone felt
the same as I. I talked with my Chinese friends a lot and we told eachother about our cultures. One thing that I look back on and regret is
not speaking as much as I wanted to for fear of making mistakes.
However, I learned the most important thing is to talk to many students
and not to worry
about mistakes.
On this study tour,
I was able to learn
about the culturesof other countries
and speak English
more than before.
I will always value
the friends who I
met there and keep
studying hard.

Junior 3 School Trip (Vancouver)I went to Canada on a school trip with my classmates and teachers forten days. I spent the first day with my host family. They were very kind.
We went downtown together.
We learned English from Canadian teachers at West Vancouver
Secondary School and went on excursions. We went to Lynn Canyon,
Stanley Park, Gastown and Granville Island. Canada was a beautiful
country. I especiallyliked the forest. It felt
good to be in nature.
Canadian food wasvery delicious. I liked
the pizza.
My best memory was
shopping in Gastown.
I bought souvenirs formy family. I enjoyed
my school trip verymuch. I want to visit
Canada again in thenear future.
Rio Sakuma
Junior 3
Rio (second from right) with classmates

Mone (second from right, front row) with her classmates

Mone Yamazaki
Junior 3

Senior 2 Kyushu Trip
The most exciting part of my Kyushu
trip was the hands-on learning program.
There were several programs: sea
kayaking, Karatsu ware, mountainstream fishing and so on. I picked surf
fishing because not only could I learn
how to catch fish, but also how to fillet
and debone them. At first I was scared
to do it, but I realized that the fish I eat
has to be prepared by someone. I loveto eat fish, so I stopped being scaredand did my best. I wasn’t very good atit, but it was a really great opportunity
to learn that people consume precious
lives.
Sayaka Hanyu
Senior 2

Sayaka (left) during the school trip

U.S. Embassy Visits Mejiro Kenshin

Canadian Embassy Visits Mejiro Kenshin

On September 1st, the first day back after summer vacation, my classattended Mr. Dana Barnhill's presentation after school. It was about why
Japanese students should study English abroad.
First, he introduced himself, and then he talked about the different states in
the U.S. I liked how he took the time to explain about each state using easy
English so that it was easy for us to understand. I talked with Mr. Barnhill
personally after the presentation, and he told me that getting to know
other countries means getting toknow people from those countries.
I realized from his words that
understanding people from othercountries is not only important,but a step towards real peace. I
thought we learned something
very important and I want to thankMr. Barnhill for taking the time totalk to us.

On October 15th, theJunior 2 students
attended a special
presentation by
Mr.Cael Husband,
Second SecretaryPublic Affairs,from the CanadianEmbassy in Japan.
Mr. Husband gavea presentation on
the advantages of
Mr. Husband presenting to the Junior 2 students
studying in Canada.
This was perfect timing for our students as they are preparing for theirtrip to Vancouver next year. Results from a questionnaire given after thepresentation show that the students are more excited than ever about
going next year. Both the students and teachers would like to thank Mr.
Husband for taking the time to visit our school.
Ken IpInternational Education Department

Ikumi Okamoto
Senior 1

Mr. Barnhill giving his presentation

Studying Abroad in Australia

Haruka (right) with friends at Somerville House

I studied abroad from July to September in Australia. I went toSomerville House. This school has many students. At Somerville House,
I could make many friends, and I studied English, biology, music, math,
Japanese, history, P.E. and Christianity. All the classes were difficult forme, but my host sister helped me, so I could understand. I especiallyliked biology. Sometimes, my host sister, friends and I went to South
Bank. We ate ice cream, and we talked about everything. I enjoyedevery day after school. My host family was very kind and funny! They
took me to many places. When I went to Dream World, I held a koala.
The koala was so cute! I took a picture. I also went to an Aboriginal site.
I studied about Australian culture and Aborigines. After every dinner, wetalked about school. This experience was very important to me because
I could learn English. I will never forget it.
Haruka Sawame
Senior 1

Studying Abroad in Canada
I studied abroad in Vancouver,
Canada for ten months. WhenI first went to Canada, I was
nervous and got homesick,but as time passed, I got
used to living there. Canada
is a multicultural country, so
there are a lot of people fromdifferent countries, such as
China, the Philippines andKotone (back row,
Iran. I made many friends fromsecond from right) with friends in Canada
different countries. I have a lotof memories with my friends and host family. For example, I went on a picnic
and held a party with my friend. Also, I played tennis after school and watchedvideos with my host family. What I was surprised by most was school. How theteachers teach and the role of schools are very different from my school in Japan.
In Canada, they enjoy big events such as Halloween and talent shows.
I was impressed with the kindness of people in Canada. They accepted andunderstood me even though we have different cultures and ideas. They always
taught me what I did not understand with kindness.
I was glad that I went to Canada and met wonderful people. I could learn a lot ofthings from them. I am proud of having great experiences that I could not do inJapan. I hope to use what I learned in Canada in positive ways in my life.
Kotone Yamazaki
Senior 2

Studying Abroad in New ZealandI stayed in New Zealand for about three months
to study English. I learned not only English, butalso about lifestyle, culture, personality, food,geography and much more! For example, I learned
that New Zealand’s food culture was influenced
by the British. In New Zealand history, Britain
colonized New Zealand, so there are many kindsof British food, like fish and chips.
For culture, New Zealand’s indigenous people are
the Maori. They have an interesting culture. Theirway of greeting is touching noses together. The
most interesting Maori culture is the haka. It is avery powerful dance. I like it. I want to watch thehaka again.

New Zealand is famous for rugby. The All Blacks is
New Zealand’s rugby team which is the strongest
rugby team in the world. The All Blacks dance thehaka before every rugby game.
I went to Takapuna Grammar School. You canchoose each subject, so I chose math, music,
geography, Japanese and two English classes.
Classes were very fun, but they are longer thanclasses in Japan. There was a twenty minute break
before lunch and fifty minutes for lunch. I usually
brought lunch, but sometimes bought sushi at theschool shop.
The school was huge and had over 1000 students.
I made many friends, so school was very fun.

Takaya (left) with fellow exchange student

My exchange was a very good experience. I wantto say thank you to everyone who helped me.
I want to go to New Zealand again.

Takaya Kondo
Senior 1

Power English

Cool JapanI went to Australia as part of the Power English Program for sevenmonths. On weekdays, I went to language school. I often encountereddifficult words and topics, so I had to study hard. Therefore, I was able toimprove my English skills a lot.
Plus, I had heaps of great experiences throughout this program. For me,
my best experience was making new friends. Australia is known for beinga multinational country, so there are a lot of people who come from allover the world, like China, Columbia, Saudi Arabia and Italy. I studied
with them, and also hung out with them. As a result, I could learn about
their culture and habits. In addition, sharing knowledge and talking withforeign friends broadened my ideas about my plans for the future. At thelanguage school I studied at, there were many people of all ages whoare studying a second language to better themselves. Because of this I
thought that it is not too late to start all the things I want to do. I felt thatJapan is too restricted about age, but other countries are not, so I would
like to do what I want no matter how old I am.
It was a dreamy and rewarding experience for me. Moreover, I think thiswonderful time might be the best memory of my life.

Ever since I was young, I
always wanted to visit Tokyo.
I didn’t know any other cities
in Japan when I was younger,
but I knew that everythingcool, like video games,
technology and Godzilla,came from Japan. As an adult,
my friends always say “Whygo to Tokyo when you cango to Kyoto, Nara, etc.,” but
I’ve always much preferred
the big city than rural scenic
areas. Areas like Kyoto may
represent traditional Japaneseculture, but I feel Tokyo is thecentre of the cool new Japan,
which is what I find much
more interesting.
My studies at Mejiro University
Sho Asanuma
are perfect. I don’t know if it’s
3 rd Year, Department of English Language Studies
because I live in Japan andMejiro University
am constantly immersed in
the language, or because of
Ben (right) with classmate participating
the teaching style, but I’m
in a senchado tea ceremony
comfortably progressing withJapanese and definitely seeing a vast improvement. When I got off theplane in September I could barely say a sentence, but after only threemonths I’m now able to have conversations in Japanese with friends.
As most of the exchange students are East Asian, they are all very used
to the food, culture, climate, etc. Whereas this being my first time outsideof Europe, this is all very new to me and every day I find new things.
Suffice to say, I’ve managed to adapt. Three months ago I was hungry
because I didn’t know where or how to buy food, now I’m sitting with myfluffy pink blanket and chocolate milk typing this article like it was anyother day.

Sho (back row, second from right) with friends in Australia

Ben Walsh
University of Central Lancashire

My Dream of Studying in JapanIt all started with a work trip to Tokyo when I
was a research assistant during my university
days. That was when a love for Japan and its
culture sprouted. Coming from a country witha short history, I was fascinated with Japanand its rich culture. It also hatched a dream ofliving and experiencing life in Japan. However,it wasn’t until years later when that dreammaterialized.
In September 2015, I embarked on my new
journey to Tokyo for a 1-year study at Mejiro
University’s Japanese Language Program(JALP). Time has flown and it’s been nearly
three months since I arrived. My awesome
classmates helped make my life away fromhome easier. Classes were made interestingwith the daily jokes and bantering. There arealso the occasional trips after class to the gamecenter. Let’s just say that my talent does notextend to UFO catchers.
Aside from the daily Japanese
language classes, we also getto have hands-on experienceat ikebana (traditional flower
arrangement), senchado(traditional tea ceremony) andJapanese sweets making. Mejiro
also offers a tutoring program inwhich I was given the opportunity
to interact with a Japanese
student on a weekly basis. Mai
was the first Japanese friend that I
made since coming here. I had fun
Evelyn (right, front) with her classmatestalking about anything under thesun during our weekly meet-ups.
Evelyn Ng
I am grateful for being given the chance toJapanese Language Program (JALP)
live and experience my dream. Every day is a
Mejiro University
wonderful learning experience.

Notice: We would like to announce that this will be the final print issue of theMejiro Exchange. We will be moving to an online format and invite you to visit
http://mk.mejiro.ac.jp/ for future updates. We thank you for your support ofMejiro Gakuen and the Mejiro Exchange over the years.

VOL. 52 DEC 2015

Mejiro Exchange is published biannually by Mejiro Gakuen.
Views expressed in the ME do not necessarily reflect thoseof Mejiro Gakuen. Comments and submissions invited.