Ten Japanese students from Keimei Gakuen in Kobe, Japan, came to visit from March 20 to March 29 as part of the Global Link program. Their visit included going to classes and after-school activities.
The students visited landmarks around Seattle, including Pike Place Market, the Space Needle, T-Mobile Park and the Chinatown International District; The last of which was guided by Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging Taylor Kanemori.
Global Link aims to present Seattle’s culture and people to the exchange students so they can get an idea of what life is like here. UPrep expects them to do the same when students visit Japan in 2026 and years to come.
“We’re saying, ‘Hey, what do you have to show us?’ Tell us who you are, and we do the same for when they come visit,” Global and Outdoor Programs Manager Kate Williams said.
Outside of all of the activities, Williams’ favorite part of the trip was the fact that the Keimei Gakuen students experienced what life is like for a family in Seattle.
“You can’t recreate this on a vacation. So going to see life, however it occurs in that particular family’s home,” Williams said, “I think it’s a really awesome opportunity to bond and communicate and explore.”
Hiroto Kuma, a 16- year-old Japanese student, enjoyed staying with his host student, sophomore Will Madrid.
“It is very comfortable,” Kuma said. “The host family is kind, so I love it.”
UPrep has maintained a relationship with the Japanese school since 2007, including Keimei Gakuen being the first school to visit UPrep after COVID.
“We chose them for that first visit because we have such a great relationship with them,” Williams said. “So, it’s exciting to have them back again.”
Back when UPrep had a Japanese language program, one of the teachers was quite familiar with Keimei Gakuen, and the fact that Seattle and Kobe are sister cities connected the two schools. The Director of Innovation and Experimental Education Brian Gonzales’s goal for the future is to provide amazing experiences to students from both cities.
“It’s the same with all of our Global Link programs, “ Gonzales said. “To establish opportunities for both communities to get to know each other to stay with host families and build friendships that last a lifetime.”