We(4 students and 1 teacher) made a 7-day visit to the City of Sacrament, U.S.A. from September 22nd to 28th. Our trip started at San Francisco Airport on the morning of September 22nd. We crossed the Golden Gate Bridge, enjoying the scenery of the townscape of San Francisco and vineyard of Napa from the car window, and our tour guide explained various things about America to us. Arriving at John F. Kennedy High School, we met friends of J.F.K. students again with great joy. It was two months since they had visited Ehime University Senior High School in July. They showed us around their campus, and we were surprised to see thousand students left school all at once and the size of its large campus, gymnasium, and football ground. Our students’ host families came to the school gate to pick us up, and went to each host family’s home. Our students seemed to be nervous but spent an enjoyable time of the first night in Sacrament.
On September 23rd, we visited the State Capitol, the City Hall, and Old Sacrament which contains its frontier period. At that night some students served their handmade dishes to their host families.
On September 24th, we joined classes in J.F.K. and made cultural exchange with students of J.F.K. J.F.K. students were very quiet in class, studying enthusiastically. We presented colored paper cranes which our first and second grade students folded, where we wrote a message of peace one by one. After enjoying lunch with them, we went to C.K. McClatchy High School and received heartful welcome from them. They showed us around their campus and we enjoyed communication with them. Then we showed our performance, wearing Yukata, and then enjoyed the performance of C.K.M. students. We made an active question and answer session, and made cultural exchange with them.
On the early morning of September 25th, we had breakfast with some members of PTA of Matsuyama Elementary School. We showed our performance to kindergarteners and the lower grade students of Matsuyama Elementary School. We enjoyed a question and answer time and cultural exchange. After observing classes, we presented our performance to the higher students and enjoyed a question and answer session and cultural exchange with them. The school principal showed us around its large campus, and we observed various classes. In the afternoon, we visited Rosemont High School in order to observe the campus and the classes, and presented our performance, and made cultural exchange. At host family houses, students relaxed themselves and spent the most pleasant night of those days.
On September 26th, we said our final farewell to host families with tears in our eyes, and we went to Nuevo Park, where the International Day of Peace event took place. We were introduced as one of the main guests in this event, and we showed our performance in front of a large audience. We received a good reputation, and heard voices of praise from audience in various languages. After our performance, we made cultural exchange with a sponsor of the event and children came to see our performance, and also enjoyed playing Sanshin with those who were interested in, and took a picture with the audience. We enjoyed lunch and a free stroll with J.F.K. students, and left Nuevo Park. We left San Francisco Airport that night, and arrived at Matsuyama safely on September 28th.
During this visit, we had very valuable experiences, and spent a pleasant and enjoyable time. We would like to express our gratitude to Mr. Oshihara, Matsuyama-Sacrament Sister City Corporation, host families, school officers of Sacrament, those who may be concerned with the event, and those whom it may concern.
The visiting schedule is as below.
http://www.hi.ehime-u.ac.jp/cms/contents05/files/2015/09/Schedule.pdf
