MEJIROGAKUEN

VOL.48Mejiro Exchange
Mejiro University (Undergraduate, Postgraduate)
Mejiro University College
Mejiro Kenshin Junior and Senior High School

Mejiro Gakuen
4-31-1 Nakaochiai, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 161-8539 JAPAN
Tel. 03-5996-3131 http://www.mejiro.ac.jp

Summer Faculty Exchange

Ms. Morimoto with the Japanese Culture &Creativity Camp students

In July, I had the opportunity to teach a
Japanese Culture & Creativity Camp at West
Vancouver Secondary School for 2 weeks.
This program was part of the ongoing teacher
exchange program between Mejiro Kenshin
and the West Vancouver School District. I
would like to thank the CEO of Mejiro Gakuen
and my principal for allowing me to represent
my school in this summer exchange.

Students lear ned about moder n/pop andtraditional Japanese culture. They participatedin a range of activities such as Japanesegames, origami and festivals. On the lastday, they made rice balls and watched aGhibli movie. I was very impressed by how
enthusiastic students were in learning about
Japan. I was also happy to hear that somestudents are planning to study Japanese andtake part in the exchange in 10th grade.
I would like to thank the West Vancouver
School Board, administrators and staff for
hosting me and supporting me during my stay.
The student/teacher exchange is an exemplary
way to expand our horizons and promote
understanding of different cultures. We arelooking forward to continued opportunities
to host teachers and students from West
Vancouver at Mejiro Kenshin.
Haruko Morimoto
Head, International Education Department
Mejiro Kenshin Junior & Senior High School

Junior 1 students, made formal
presentations to Junior and SeniorMejiro students, and led technology
related workshops for school staff.
Prior to my departure to Japan, I
had the pleasure of working with the
Junior 3 class in West Vancouver,
Canada. As a result, my trip toJapan afforded me the opportunity
to debrief with the Junior 3s about
their experience in Canada. As alogical extension, I was also giventh e oppo rtu n ity t o prepare th ecurrent Junior 2 class for the same
trip next year.
Group photo with the principal, PTA International Exchange
The on-going teacher exchange
Committee, exchange students and parents
h a s p ro v e n t o b e a n e x c e l l e n topportunity for me to expand my
In July, I continued my participation with thecultural horizons. I consider myself fortunate tofaculty exchange program between Mejiro
have been given this opportunity. I would like to
K e n s h i n a n d m y h o m e d i s t r i c t o f We s t
thank my Superintendent, Mr. Chris Kennedy,
Vancouver. This was my first trip back to Mejiro
and the Inter national Administrator, Ms.
since 2011; it was a wonderful experience.
Maureen Smiley, for allowing me the privilege
I would like to thank the Mejiro administrationof being our district ambassador during thisand the staff of the international department
summer’s short-term faculty exchange.
for making my exchange so memorable. Theygave me the opportunity to, once again, get
Jordan Al-Assadiacquainted with large segments of the student
Teacherbody. I taught mini lessons to prospective
Sentinel Secondary School

DEC 2013
Harvard Students Visit Mejiro

With the principal, staff, and students
from the Senior 2-3 class

With the cordial invitation from Ms. Haruko
Morimoto, the head of the international education
department at Mejiro Kenshin Junior and SeniorHigh School, the students from Harvard University
visited the high school to participate in aninteractive session that aimed to promote deeper
understanding and interest about college life in the
United States among the high school students.
After the Harvard students introduced themselves
and explained what they were doing in Japan
during this summer, the session proceeded into
roundtable discussions, during which each of theHarvard students gave a little presentation to theirgroup of high school students about the experienceof studying at an American college. Then, it was
followed by a Q & A session between the two sides.
Common questions from the Mejiro students
included how busy school work is in college inthe U.S. and why the Harvard students became
interested in Japan. Josh Speagle (class of 2015,
astrophysics) reminisced, "Since I'm an astrophysics
major and an East Asian studies minor, they werereally curious about both fields. After I told them I
was a big fan of Uchuu Kyoudai (a popular Japanesecomic), many of them seemed to warm up to me."With satisfying smiles on the faces of both theHarvard students and the Mejiro students, group
pictures were taken as the session came to an end.
The Harvard students are very grateful for thehospitality they received from the Mejiro students
and the Mejiro staff, and they agree that it is always
a great experience to meet someone from a different
place, especially from a place as culturally rich as
Japan. Having the chance to not only meet, but sit
down and interact, with these high school students
was an incredible experience.
Hao-Kai Pai
Class of 2016, Economics, Harvard University

The Toyosai Festival
On both Saturday and Sunday of
the 90th Toyosai Festival, there wasa constant stream of people thatcame through our room. Principal
Matsushita spent some time with us
and listened to student speeches,and Mejiro teachers and students,
alumni, and parents visited us too.
Commemorative flag displayed at
There also were many elementary
the festival for the 90th anniversary
and middle school students who areaiming to enter Mejiro Kenshin, and we were able to encourage them as
they study for their entrance examinations.
In order to provide information about Mejiro Kenshin High School for our
visitors, we decorated the room with posters, put out information sheets,and had people available to answer any questions. For the first time, Mr.
Ken Ip had several of his students from the ESS club present speeches inEnglish at various intervals during the weekend. These students made thisyear’s Toyosai Festival very special as they showed people what Mejiro
Kenshin High School is all about.
We always appreciate Ms. Haruko Morimoto’s tireless efforts to help theInternational Exchange Student Committee and ESS members organize
this room as it pays off every year when many are able to enjoy ouractivities and learn more about Mejiro Kenshin High School, and especially
its English program.
Lorna Sachie Asami
Chair, PTA International Exchange Commitee

Since the first day I cameto Japan I noticed a great
sense of identity and union
between everybody. The
school festival was not an
exception. I would say thegreatness of the Japaneseculture comes from theunion and organization of
the people.
The school festival isan ev en t he l d e ve ry
Axel (left) with teachers and PTA International
year, where each class
Exchange Committee membersorganizes a kind of shopor smaller attraction in their homeroom. The school uses this event to promoteitself, too. The festival is organized by the student council and students who
volunteer from each class. Teachers just supervise and help the students
a little. I have studied in seven different schools in three different countries(Mejiro is the eighth), and I must say Mejiro is one of a kind. In all the schools
I have been, there hasn’t been one where students are as responsible,organized and kind.
Every day I spend in Japan I am more and more amazed by this fascinating
culture, and the country has taught me so much about others and myself.
The school festival was something new for me and it was definitely one of
the big climaxes of my stay in the country of the rising sun.
Axel Zarebski
West Vancouver Secondary School

The Towasai Festival
I have been a student in the Mejiro University JALP
program since the autumn of 2013 and am very
excited with student life in Japan. Therefore when
I heard of Towasai (the once-a-year school festival of Mejiro Gakuen) I was looking forward toit so much. All of the teachers and students had
been planning and preparing for the festival for along time. Foreign students in the JALP course divided into groups to make camps, selling food anddrinks from their home countries. We Vietnamese
people made "Nem ran - nem cuon" (Vietnamese
spring rolls). In order to buy enough traditional ingredients, the leaders of the group went to manymarkets in Tokyo. The day came and from themorning the whole campus, from the main gate to
the playground, was covered with coloured flags,
pictures etc.. We arrived early, borrowing everything we needed at the International Exchange

Anh (right) with the Vietnamese students
in front of their booth at the festival

Center. Teachers from the center even arrived tohelp us decorate the camp. What surprised us themost is that people were keen on our food andwe sold out on the first day. We also had a chance
to try various foods, not only Japanese but also
Korean, Taiwanese, and Chinese style foods andat the same time we enjoyed live music. Many
students and faculty members attended till latenight. The next day I visited the play area set up by
the students in the Children Education Department
with my friend’s child. I was really impressed withboth the scenery (anime characters, funny games
for kids and colourful balloons) and the way theJapanese students took care of the children.
Towasai will be one of my most memorable experiences in Japan and I am sure that everyone participating in the event had a great time as well.
Nguyen Thi Duyen Anh
Japanese Language Program (JALP)
Mejiro University

Junior 3 Canada Trip

Junior 3 students during their trip

We went on a ten day trip to Vancouver. I stayedwith the Cahill family. We ate many different kindsof Canadian food like pancakes, hamburgers,
salmon and sandwiches. Everything wasdelicious, especially the banana ice cream. I

really liked it. We saw a parade and fireworks
on Canada Day. They were very beautiful andfun to watch. We studied English with Canadianteachers. They were great! My best memory wasgoing to Granville Island Market. I bought many
souvenirs like maple syrup, some key rings, areindeer doll and a pen case. I learned manythings in Vancouver.

very good teacher. I played basketball with him
in the school gym. That was so much fun. I love
Canada because everything is beautiful. I want to
go to Canada again.

Masaki Kawakami
Junior 3-1

My trip to Canada was great! I stayed with the
Kodak family. We ate hamburgers, pasta andcereal. We went to Stanley Park. I experienced
much Canadian culture. My best memory wasgoing to Granville Island. I ate ice cream, and Ibought a small book at Kids Market. I learned alot of things about Canada. I love Canada! I want
to go there again. Thank you, Canada.

My trip to Canada was wonderful. I stayed with
the Evans family. We ate hamburgers, pizza
and fish. We had a barbeque in the backyard.
My best memory was going to the movies. I
saw “World War Z.” It was a good movie, but I
thought the camera work could have been better.
Our English teacher was Mr. Al-Assadi. He was a

Hirotaka Ikeda
Junior 3-2

Yui Kamino
Junior 3-3

Senior 2 Kyushu Trip

Moe (center) enjoying Kyushu with her classmates

I went to the Kyushu area on my school trip. My
trip was absolutely wonderful.
When I went to Kumamoto castle, I was impressedwith its size.
I went to the atomic bomb museum in Nagasaki.
At a glance the town appeared ordinary, but looking carefully reveals war scars scattered here andthere. When I listened to the story of an atomic
bomb victim, my heart ached. I have never experienced war so I don’t know the true fear of war, but
I understand that we must not repeat war. I thinkhanding down stories like the one I heard is very
important.
During my free activity time I went to many places
and bought many souvenirs. Nagasaki is a beautiful
city. I like it there. I experienced the kindness of others when I got lost and some local people helped
me find my way.
I also had the opportunity to come into contact
with nature. I live in Tokyo so it is not often that
I can do this. It made me want to protect nature
in Japan.
This trip gave me the chance to make many special
memories. And, it also has changed the way I think
about peace.
Moe Arakawa
Senior 2

Studying Abroad in Japan
things that surprised me. I still
If I were asked how thisremember the drive from theexchange with Mejiro was, I
airport when I first arrived. During
wouldn't be able to sum it up
the whole drive I was immersed
so simply. My experience wasin staring out the window, taking
mind blowing and words suchin the marvelous city. My hostas “fun” and “exciting” don’t
family, the Shimamuras, were
do it justice. I always loved
the most welcoming, helpful andmeeting new exchange students
Imogen (far left) and Haruka
good humored people I could
who came to my school and I(second from left) riding the train
ask for and I got on great withcouldn’t believe that the samewith their classmates
my host sister, Sonoka.
thing was happening to me! I
was going to a school in another country. When I During my time in Tokyo I experienced so manyfirst arrived in Tokyo I was immediately homesick. amazing things. On our first day, the school’s
But the Mejiro students welcomed me with open international committee threw us a welcome party
arms. It made my day when students I didn’t know and we played Japanese games and also a Russianin other grades tried to talk to me in the hallways. Roulette type game, with pancake balls and one
Out of the many classes I had, my favorites were with wasabi in the middle- which I lost every time!
calligraphy and PE. In calligraphy I got to practice Getting into school life was quite different to insimple kanji and though I struggled a lot at first New Zealand, particularly in the way that students
I loved seeing my progress each class. During don’t move classes, the teachers do. I did all of mymy time at Mejiro we had some school events classes with a Canadian girl who was also doing thesuch as Sports Day and Chorus Festival. It was same exchange and we became quite good friends.
amazing to experience Sports Day in Japan, which The thing that is probably the most stand out wasis completely different from the ones in Canada. the weekend that I spent with my host family in
During the weekends my host family took me to Kyoto. Kyoto is one of the ancient cities of Japan,
many tourist attractions such as Mt.Fuji, Odaiba, and very beautiful and traditional. While there,
Asakusa, Akihabara, and Tokyo Skytree. I made Sonoka and I were dressed up and had ourmany great memories with them. One of my makeup done as Maiko dancers. Maiko dancers arehighlights from this exchange was taking the train traditional Japanese dancing girls who paint theirto and from school. Compared to my 10 min drive face and neck white, wear kimonos and big wigs
at home the complex train schedules and stations with special hair pieces and dance with fans. It took
intimidated me, but I soon came to love the busy about three hours for them to complete the wholestations and taking the train with friends. I truly look on each of us and then we had a photo shoot.
enjoyed my exchange with Mejiro and I wish I could The whole look was so amazing, my family couldn’t
have stayed much longer. I cannot wait to return to recognize me in the photos.
This whole exchange is something I will definitely
Tokyo one day and visit Mejiro.
remember for the rest of my life and be proud
Haruka Noguchi
of. I know before I went to Japan, my languageWest Vancouver Secondary School
wasn’t great but Japanese is my passion and I wasdetermined enough that now it has improved by a
There was always something that fascinated me about
long way. I think that if you really love something, youJapan, Japanese culture, and learning the language.
should go after it.
When I first arrived in Japan there were things that I
Imogen Sprayhad been expecting and excited for and also many
Takapuna Grammar School

My Valuable Experience
Australian culture as well. I got to experience many things
I went to Vancouver, Canada for about three months asthat I would never get to experience in Canada, such as
an international student. The school that I went to wasMejiro's club system.
Sentinel Secondary School. There were a lot of foreign
I want to thank my homeroom teacher Mr. Yasui, mystudents at Sentinel so you could hear various languages
classmates, and all the other teachers and students I met.
spoken every day. Sentinel also has a lot of events, like
Because of them, my days in Japan became a valuable
Pajama Day, Mustache Day and Kindergarten Day. They
memory. I got to have a better sense of money managewere fun.
I took some ESL classes. The style of presentations andment by being a homestay student and also got to use
discussions in class were totally different from Japan withJapanese in daily life and practice to improve. I got toeveryone participating actively. I tried very hard to join in,see many different sides of Japan because of the excurbut it was difficult.
sion program for exchange students. I learned to solve
I spent a lot of time with my host sister, Linda. We wentproblems on my own and became more independent. It isskiing, downtown and trick-or-treating. In addition, I went
hard to put in words how this experience affected my life
Linda (left) and Kotone (right)
to various places with my host family and friends so I
so much. Without those awesome people I met at Mejiro,
at Disney Sea
experienced many things for the first time during my stay.
I would not be the same person I am today.
I learned that it is not easy at all to live abroad, and that communication is very There were many interesting courses and I was able to participate in many difimportant. I believe that all of my experiences will help me in the future.
ferent activities. I went to Disney Sea with my host sister and many places with
my friends. I got to experience Japanese Girl Scouts and got to make even
Kotone Oshimi
more friends there. I felt a sense of belonging in this school. People treated me
Senior 3
very nicely and the support I received from everyone goes beyond anything I
could ever try to fit into this article. It was a pleasure to meet everyone and I
My exchange at Mejiro Kenshin might have been the biggest decision I havewant to say thank you from the bottom of my heart.
ever made in my life but I am glad I went to Japan. During the exchange I mademany new friends. Not only Japanese people, I also met two Australian girls
Linda Kuo
who were also on exchange. I learned not only about Japanese culture but
Sentinel Secondary School

Studying Abroad in Australia

Haruka (bottom right) with her classmates

When I arrived in Adelaide, Australia I was very
nervous because I went there all by myself, but
I soon met my two best friends in St. Aloysius
College, Georgana and Ngan.
Georgana is a very kind girl. She always smiles. Herwarm smile kept me cheerful. When I played a songon the piano, I couldn’t play it well, but she said,“You’re a nice pianist.” Her words made me happy.
Ngan is a very nice friend and a good teacher. I
couldn’t always understand the class content, but
she took the time to explain it clearly to me.
I thank the school’s students because they
accepted me. On the final day at the school theygave me presents. It made me happy! My hostfamily consisted of four members: my host sister,
host brother, host father, host mother, and aChinese study abroad student.
I went to two places with my host family. First, I
went to the beach with them. The weather was niceand so was the place. Second, I went to the wildlife park with them. I enjoyed the nature there andheld a koala.
One holiday I went to the Adelaide Show with myfriend. The show has attractions like a haunted
house, rollercoaster, and a very fast Ferris wheel. I
tried the roller coaster, but I got dizzy. I wasn’t able
to walk well for a while. I also ate potato chips atlunch time that were spiral-cut. I had a very nicetime. I want to be able to speak English well, and I
want to visit Adelaide again in the future.

Studying Abroad in New Zealand
I had a dream when I was a child that I
wanted to go abroad to study. I’m happy thatmy dream came true.
In New Zealand, I was able to experience
many things that I haven’t experienced
before. For example, when I went home fromschool, I went to a very beautiful beach andI talked with people from different countries.
I became especially good friends with a boy
who was French. He was so very nice to me.
Thanks to him my English became muchbetter than when I arrived in New Zealand.
Madoka (center back) with friends after class
There were many students from different
countries in school so I could make a lot offriends, and they taught me words in their native languages. I miss them so much. I will never forgetthe memories that we shared.
While I was in New Zealand, I was always thinking that I wanted to stay longer. I still feel the sameand I have a new dream that I will definitely go back to New Zealand again. By then, I’ll have done
my best to learn English so that I will be able to talk about my progress in English with my loving hostfamily. I love New Zealand.
Madoka Tanaka
Senior 1
I went to New Zealand to study. It was myfirst time to go to New Zealand. To be honest,
I thought there would be a lot of fields andsheep because Auckland is in the countryside,
but it was different from what I had imagined.
I went to Takapuna Grammar School. I mademany friends there, but I became good friends
with a French boy named Paul. We spent a lotof time together.
My host family consisted of five members: myhost sister, two brothers, mother and father.
My host mother was very kind, and my host Ryo (second from left) with other exchange students
sister likes Japanese culture so she will go tofrom around the world
Japan for one year.
Every day, I rode the bus to school. School started at 9 o`clock. There were five lessons a day. I choseto take Japanese, math, PE, art, and two English classes. We had 2 one-hour lessons and then a
20-minute break. After that we had 2 more lessons and then lunch time. Finally we had our last class.
One day, I went to Piha Beach with my host mother and father. It is very far away so you have to takea car to get there. It took 2 hours. It was very fun.
From this study abroad I learned a lot of things like I lack vocabulary so I need to learn more words. In
the future, I want to go back to New Zealand to see my host family and friends again.

Haruka Tanji
Senior 1

Ryo Masuda
Senior 2

Brand New World

Sakura (left) with her classmates and teacher
at Hancock University

This was my second time to study abroad so
I saved a lot of money because I didn't want
to depend on my parents. In August I went to
America by myself. I had no friends at that time
so I was so scared and nervous before I went.
Fortunately, I could make some friends because
I was staying at a dormitory. Their existence
gave me great encouragement. I didn’t become
homesick. I was able to make a lot of Korean
friends at Hancock University. My friends and theschool assistants took me to some places; forinstance, Korean restaurants, the sea, Universal
Studios, Dodgers Stadium and so on. They werevery kind, cheerful and friendly. Whenever I had
problems, they always helped me kindly. They
always made me happy. So, I was very sad when
their farewell ceremony was held. They wore
ceremony clothes and got certificates one byone. I cried so much and thought that I wantto take more classes with them and hang out
together. When they saw my crying face, they

were surprised and said “Don’t cry, Sakura.
We will meet again soon.” Then, they hugged
me. After I went back to Japan, I thought I hadchanged a lot. For example, I could say my own
opinion without hesitating. I thought I want to go
abroad more. I became more active than before.
At last American life was very different from life inJapan. It was hard to eat fast food and take only
showers every day. I felt culture shock but I could
learn American styles. I had a very good time.
I will never forget this study abroad in America.
I want to express my appreciation to everyone
who helped me.
Sakura Nakamori
3rd year, Department of English Language Studies
Mejiro University
VOL. 48 DEC 2013

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