Cultural Exchange Initiative

The group visited the Showa Middle School and the Nakauchi Elementary School to take part in teaching English to its students.  At the middle school, students interviewed us, reporting on what they learned in front of the other classmates.  Even more impressive was that the entire process was conducted in English! In the elementary school, we ate school lunch with their students as we learned how to craft Origami from them.  Again, the entire time we spoke in English, demonstrating how impressive these students’ skills were ! We truly had a memorable and wonderful time with the people of Mino City and really appreciated their warm hospitality. We are very thankful for how they opened their hearts and minds to the visitors.

We got up very early to participate in a  Zazen meditation session , followed by a vegetarian breakfast at the Enshoen Temple. The hour-long meditation was refreshing and uplifting; a perfect way to start a new day! We went to City  Hall to meet with the mayor and deputy mayor of Mino City.  At the beginning, Bob Graham spoke in Japanese to express our gratitude to how warmly the citizens of Mino have been treating the group.  The mayor taught us the distinguished features of Mino w ashi paper , as well as what it plans to be used for in the near-future: for the  certificate s of recognition for athletes of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics.   In the afternoon, we visited the Mugi High School for its physical festival. The cheering party competition was never heard of in the USA, with its aim for students to gain group collaboration. It was a unique competition to  observe.

The group participated in a Polish artistry paper workshop to make Polish Christmas decorations.  Afterword, we toured the Japanese sake brewery, the Udatsu Townscape (Udatsu no Agaru Machinami), and the Mino Washi Lantern Museum. For lunch, we enjoyed the autumn taste of Matsutake mushroom rice, sashimi, tempura, and some traditional Japanese side dishes hosted by the local supporters. In the late afternoon, we were invited to a cooking teacher ’ s home to experience a typical Japanese home-cooked dinner, including paella and pizza. It was hard to believe that Japanese people eat this much various and delicious types of dishes as and everyday meal. In the evening, we taught two different levels of English conversation classes to about 50 students, ranging from elementary students to middle-aged adults. We truly enjoyed the time with the students, who consisted of friends , couples, various families, and high school students.