Eight Gilroy students traveled with the Gilroy Takko Student Exchange Program to Japan for a 10-day visit from June 26-July 5. Gabriela Avila, Luis Cruz Velasco, Rachael Gallagher and Louisa Mantilla represented Gilroy High School while Emmanuel Duran, Camryn Crowley, Isabel Mena and Natalie Roberts represented Christopher High School. After exploring Tokyo and outlying areas for two and a half days, the students and their chaparones, Marah Kuwada and Gretchen Yoder-Schrock, headed to Gilroy’s Sister City, Takko-Machi in the prefecture of Aomori.
While in Takko, students stayed with local host families building connections and making friends. Students visited two preschools, Shinto shrines, Buddhist temples, a nearby waterfall and a fourth-generation tatami mat shop. Highlights included a visit to Takko High School where students clumsily joined in on a local traditional dance and Taiko drumming, a Saturday picnic including games, a caligraphy lesson, and sumo wrestling, as well as a free day spent with their host families.
After a very tearful Sayonara party, students departed Takko full of wonderful memories and a deep understanding of the importance of our Sister City relationship with Takko-Machi.
