From 2024 August 12th to the 22nd, 20 middle to high school students from the Edogawa ward of Tokyo came to Hawaii. Our hopes were for them to find cues or hints to create visions of their own futures, through experiencing the abundant nature, history, and the spirit of ALOHA in the Hawaiian Islands.
We began preparing with online classes with the students, having them imagine what going to school in Hawaii would be like. Edogawa students attended classes at the Hawaii DoE school, followed by activities with their students and visits to a University in Hawaii. They learned about history and culture through visiting the Pearl Harbor Battleship Missouri Memorial, the Polynesian Cultural Center, and conversations with international students from Japan. They learned about sustainable agriculture at the Second Nature Farm, performed community services through beach cleanups, visited the Honolulu Mayor’s Office in honor of their sister-city relationship with the Edogawa ward, and at the end of the day, students returned to their host family’s home for a good night’s rest.
On the day of their returning flight, we gathered at the Daniel. K. Inouye International Airport where students shed tears of farewell as they filled their mouths with spam they were gifted. I imagine they were also very nervous during the whole trip. Good Job everyone, you did awesome! Everything you experienced, the fun times and the hard times, will all enrich your life in the long run. Thank you all so much for coming to Hawaii! And thanks for all the support from the state of Hawaii and the Edogawa ward for making this possible!
