Japanese sister-city students arrive in Rome
They are greeted by city officials as they meet their host families for a one-week visit.
A Japanese delegation of middle schoolers and three adult chaperones were welcomed to Rome during a brief ceremony at City Hall Saturday night.
The group from Kumamoto, Rome’s sister city in Japan, was welcomed by Mayor Jamie Doss and Mayor Pro Tem Milton Slack as they were introduced to the local families and middle school students who will host them for the next week.
The exchange program started in the mid-1990s after the late George Pullen and Chiyuki Murakami negotiated and signed an agreement of friendship. Rome was initially a sister city to Ueki Town; however it was merged into Kumamoto.
The exchanges have not taken place every year, the longest break occurring in the years immediately following the terrorist attacks on the
World Trade Center’s twin towers in New York and fears associated with long-distance flights.
Will Stephenson, who went to Japan as an exchange student himself two years ago, was excited to meet Motoki Murakami on Saturday night.
“I thought because I went I should host someone this year,” Stephenson said.
Stephenson and Murakami have exchanged emails in the weeks leading up to the visit to try to get to know each other a little bit.
“He said he really likes soccer and Japanese chess. I don’t know the full extent of what that is,” Stephenson shared.
Reagan Robinson was eagerly awaiting the chance to meet Yuuka Hashimoto. Robinson got involved with the exchange program after choosing to learn more about Japan as part of her social studies class.
“She likes chocolate and she likes to read,” Robinson explained.
The youngsters will be guests of the Rome City Commission on Monday night.
Sister city co-founder Chiyuki Murakami is making his eighth visit to Rome returning to Georgia to represent the International Association of Ueki.
“Every time I come here I feel like I’m coming home,” he told his students and their Rome hosts Saturday night.
Joining Chiyuki Murakami as chaperones for the week are Mikako Kawaguchi, the official translator, and Ayaka Hori.
Gary Batchelor and his wife, Roz Batchelor, will serve as hosts for Hori.
Batchelor said his wife was encouraged to participate by Minako Fukui, a local Japanese native.
During the week the students will attend an ice-breaker at Berry College today and tour F&P Georgia, a Japaneseowned company, Monday before getting a trolley tour of downtown.
The students will tour the Darlington School campus and visit the Boys & Girls Club Tuesday.
The group will tour the Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park and Southern Museum of
Civil War and Locomotive History Wednesday, before an afternoon visit to the Tellus Museum in Cartersville.
They’ll receive cooking lessons at The Season Events with Holly Lynch on Thursday before visiting Georgia Highlands College Heritage Hall, the Rome Tennis Center at Berry College, Chieftains Museum/Major Ridge Home and the Rome-Floyd ECO Center, where they will be guests at a farewell dinner.
The group will leave for home Friday.