Mills High School recently hosted a visit, welcoming cultural exchange students from Fukuoka, Japan. The purpose of this was to give the Japanese students a chance to experience American high school life while giving them the opportunity to share their own language and culture with Mills .
A cultural exchange visit is when students from another country, in this case Japan, come to study for a period of time in a U.S. school like Mills. During their stay, they attend classes, participate in activities, and get to interact with Mills students to understand each other’s perspectives and culture.
Japanese teacher Asuka Maniwa, who helped organize the event, explained that the visit is part of a program where the Fukuoka Prefecture sends selected high school students to the U.S. each year. “It’s a special program where students visit our school, universities, and tech companies as part of their week-long homestay experience,” she says. This year, Mills arranged 15 students (five more than last year) and they were able to stay for two days on campus.
During the visit, the students participated in activities and gave presentations they prepared in English. “They were ready to meet and interact with everyone as soon as they arrived,” Maniwa says. The exchange students shared presentations about Fukuoka culture. They also enjoyed trying American snacks, meeting administrators, and the farewell potluck they attended at the end of the week.
Mills students who study Japanese said the experience was meaningful. Audrey Ku (9) shared, “I was excited because we could get to know Japanese students and learn what their life is like. They were all very friendly and open about their school experiences.” Ku also said something surprising was how much the visitors enjoyed American fast food. “They really, really liked In-N-Out,” Ku says. “And they liked that school here is less strict.” She also felt inspired to keep learning Japanese. “It helps us see there’s more outside of America.”
One of the visiting students, Momoka Kimura, said she was surprised by how active American students were. “Every student was moving around. The class style was so different, there was more conversation and discussion,” she says. She also appreciated how welcoming Mills students were. “At first it’s difficult to communicate in a new environment, but as I showed interest, I was able to get into the community,” she shares. Kimura said that she would love to return: “I want to visit again because there are more options to think about here. It feels more flexible compared to Japanese high school.”
Maniwa hopes the visit inspired both groups. “I hope our students were able to use the Japanese they’ve studied and make lifelong friendships,” she says. She also believes the visitors gained meaningful experiences that they can take back home.
Overall, the exchange visit brought connection, learning, and cultural appreciation to Mills, continuing a tradition that the Japanese program hopes will grow even stronger in the future.
