For the 14th year running, Japanese students from a town of
about 8,000 people will hop aboard a plane and travel to the other
side of the globe to visit their sister city and friend in all
things garlic: Gilroy.
For the 14th year running, Japanese students from a town of about 8,000 people will hop aboard a plane and travel to the other side of the globe to visit their sister city and friend in all things garlic: Gilroy.
Fifteen high school students and two teachers from Takko-Machi, Japan have a week of exploring the Bay Area ahead of them and are looking forward to learning the customs of a country many have only read about in books, said Patrick Foley, Gilroy’s coordinator for international relations in Takko-Machi. But six of the students are veterans of the transcontinental trip.
“They loved it so much they’re coming again,” Foley said.
Takko-Machi has been sending high school students to Gilroy since 1994 and junior high students since 2000. The students’ families pay for half of the trip and the Takko Garlic International Friendship Association – the town’s version of Gilroy Sister Cities Association – provides a match.
“It’s amazing that they come through every year to fund this trip, being that they’re such a small town,” Foley said. “They are really committed to it.”
While in Gilroy, each student will stay with a host family. Every year, seasoned host families volunteer their homes and a round of new families gets involved in the mix. It’s a great way to learn about the Japanese culture and contribute to Gilroy’s sister city relationship, Foley said.
When he sat down with the students, Foley was surprised with some of their suggestions for activities. One of their requests was a trip to Gilroy’s Wheeler Senior Center, where they will sing and perform traditional drum line dances for the residents. In a culture where the elderly are cherished and regarded as a vital component of society, the Japanese students were eager to learn how their customs compared to those in the United States, Foley said.
Another first for the students is their participation in a western archery demonstration at Predators Archery in Gilroy. Six of the students are highly skilled archers and Foley arranged a presentation for the students to learn about western techniques and equipment.
The group of students will be tooling around town in one of the school district’s big yellow buses, an everyday experience for most Gilroy students but a first time treat for the Japanese students. In Takko, the students don’t have the luxury of school buses or rides from parents to deliver them to and from school, Foley said. On top of that, the community is situated among many hills and schools are typically built at the highest parts of the city.
“Even in 20 degree weather, the kids in Takko walk to school,” Foley said.
A trip to Stanford University, Gavilan College, Gilroy High School and Brownell Middle School will introduce the students to American versions of junior high, high school and college.
The traditional Sayonara Party, a tear-jerking event every year, will round out the students’ week, Foley said. The students will dress in ceremonial kimonos and put on a performance in gratitude to their host families. The event is open to the host families and will be held the evening of Jan. 9 at Brownell Middle School.
