Four students from Trident High School have spent two weeks immersed in Japanese language and culture.

Wiha Persons Teepa, Eilidh Harley, Jayden Grindrod and Cullen Holmes visited Tokyo, Hiroshima and Whakatāne’s sister city Kamagaya where they attended school, stayed with host families and explored some of Japan’s best known landmarks.

As they prepared to board their 11-hour flight, Wiha was feeling more nervous than the others.

“It wasn’t just my first time travelling overseas, but my first time on a plane. Exiting the airport, I was surprised at the sheer number of people. It was almost suffocating,” she said.

When the group arrived in Tokyo, they were greeted by temperatures of 27 degrees, along with the sights and sounds of the bustling city at night. The following day, they travelled to Hiroshima before eventually settling in Kamagaya.

The Whakatāne district has had a long-standing relationship with Kamagaya, which has provided the foundation for many exchanges between the towns and schools.

This visit was organised by Trident Japanese teacher Hilary Harison alongside Kamagaya City Council.

The four students identified their host families as a highlight of the trip, with Eilidh particularly impressed by the warmth of her welcome.

“There was so much food, dishes upon dishes of food. For breakfast, there were three separate plates to choose from. They went out of their way to make me feel welcome and catered to,” Eilidh said.

Harrison, who was also tour guide for the trip, said all but one of the host families were first-time hosts so the experience was new to them.

“The Japanese are renowned for their hospitality, and these families were no exception. They certainly rolled out the red carpet and couldn’t do enough for you,” she said.

An important part of the trip was giving the students an opportunity to practise their Japanese.

For Wiha, communicating in an unfamiliar language and navigating a different culture initially felt daunting.

“The trip was a good chance to use the Japanese we learnt at school. Sometimes we knew we got some words wrong, but no one corrected me, as they were polite and encouraging.”

“I was nervous about doing or saying the wrong thing, especially in a place with such a strong culture, but our host families were so nice. I ended up with nine water bottles, and they kept giving me water, making sure I had everything I needed,” Wiha said.

When communication in Japanese became a challenge, the students were able to use English, as many young Japanese people had at least some knowledge of English through their school studies.

“I was surprised by how many people knew English, or at least some English, as it’s taught in schools. It’s more prominent among the younger generations than the older ones,” Eilidh said.

Alongside practising the language, the students explored Japan’s cultural landmarks and traditions.

“The cultural experience was amazing. We visited quite a few shrines and temples, as well as Miyajima Island, where there are deer that walk around. You have to be careful, as they may attack you if you have food,” Eilidh said.

The Japanese school system also caught the students’ attention, particularly the differences in everyday routines and expectations.

“The culture was a lot more prominent in everyday life, even in the school system. Everyone is so orderly and polite, and students run their own activities and just get on with it. Here, teachers have to set up, motivate and organise students,” Eilidh said.

Harison said the experience offered students an insight into the collective values that influenced Japanese society.

“Japan is organised around a group-oriented structure, so everyone works for the common good, whereas other cultures are more individualistic. This results in everyone conforming and behaving with respect,” Harison said.

The students integrated well into the school environment and even achieved a degree of local celebrity status, with Jayden’s Instagram following jumping from 30 to 80 overnight.

Away from school, the group enjoyed visits to Universal Studios Japan and Tokyo Disneyland, with the latter proving a particular favourite.

Food also provided plenty of memorable experiences. McDonald’s was among the first Japanese food stops, with Wiha impressed by the flavour but less enthusiastic about the smaller burgers.

Cullen was pleasantly surprised by how inexpensive food was, although he was disappointed to discover there was no frozen Coke.

“I came back to New Zealand and protested about a $5 Coke, which was $1.50 back in Japan. I did have to balance that with the minimum wage in Japan, which is $11,” Cullen said.

Next year marks 30 years of the sister-city relationship between Whakatāne and Kamagaya. Harison hopes the milestone will encourage Japanese host families to visit the Eastern Bay and experience New Zealand in return.

The connections created through the exchange can last a lifetime, she said.

“We had a Japanese student who came to Whakatāne when he was 16 and is now living in Tauranga with his Kiwi partner. Another student who came to Japan with me when he was 16 is now living in Christchurch and has a Japanese wife.

“Another woman who went to Japan from Trident High takes her family there pretty much every year and visits her host family from Kamagaya,” Harison said.