SISTER CITIES: Japanese students immerse in American culture this week in Greenfield

GREENFIELD – Seven teens and two chaperones from Kakuda, Japan are spending the week immersed in American culture through the Sister Cities of Greenfield cultural exchange program.

The group was greeted by their host families Friday when they touched down at the Indianapolis International Airport, then reconvened for a welcome breakfast at NineStar Connect headquarters on Saturday.

Each guest spent the weekend doing an assortment of fun things with their individual host families, like ziplining in Brown County, exploring the Indianapolis Zoo or experiencing an Indianapolis Colts game and the Indiana State Fair.

On Monday, the guests spent the day visiting a handful of Greenfield schools, where they tried American snacks and played educational games with students in various grade levels. At lunchtime they dined on country fried steak and mashed potatoes with gravy alongside second graders in the Weston Elementary School cafeteria.

Despite the language barrier, students did the best they could to communicate with each other.

“Do you have an Apple watch?” exclaimed second grader Bear Hysell as he spotted the watch on the wrist of Naomi Ito, an interpreter for Sister Cities of Greenfield since 2014.

“I sure do,” she replied.

“I have an Apple watch too,” Bear told her, as the two compared the watches on their wrists.

Another youngster at the table asked if Ito had an iPhone, which prompted the interpreter to lay her iPhone out on the table.

Technology can be a great source of common ground between cultures, said Ito, a Chicago native and longtime Hoosier who recently moved to Ohio.

Sister Cities of Greenfield was founded in 1990 to help celebrate common ground between the relatively same-sized cities of Greenfield, Ind. and Kakuda, Japan.

The exchange program is part of Sister Cities International, a program founded by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1956 which has grown to include over 300 member communities in more than 140 countries around the world.

The program’s mission is to “promote peace through mutual respect, understanding, and cooperation” one individual and one community at a time.

The COVID pandemic temporarily put a damper on the program.

This week’s visit marks the first time a group from Kakuda has visited Greenfield since 2019.

This year’s group consists of students ages 14-17.

On Monday, they were each greeted at Weston Elementary School with a gift bag containing a Greenfield-Central cougar sticker and a cup of candy, some of which was likely new to them.

Monday morning, the Japanese guests tried a variety of American snacks at Maxwell Intermediate School, including licorice and root beer.

“I think they liked Skittles the best. They loved those,” said Susan Geesa, treasurer for Sister Cities of Greenfield.

Monday afternoon the group was treated to another sweet treat at Libby’s Ice Cream in downtown Greenfield, which they enjoyed at Depot Street Park.

Tuesdays’ schedule includes visits to more Greenfield-Central schools, followed by a stop at Hitherto Coffee and Gaming Parlour in Greenfield.

On Wednesday, the group plans to visit the Sister Cities garden and mural along the Pennsy Trail, areas maintained by Sister Cities of Greenfield. The guests will also visit with Greenfield mayor Guy Titus as they tour city hall, as well as two downtown Greenfield shops – Greenfield Chocolates and Sugar Rush. They’ll also tour the local Hitachi Astemo plant and make a stop by Walmart.

Thursday’s action-packed itinerary includes stops at Greenfield’s police and fire stations as well as the Organic Robot screenprint shop in Greenfield and an arcade in Shelbyville, followed by a pool party.

On Friday the group heads to Indianapolis where they’ll visit the Indiana Statehouse, Monument Circle and the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis, in addition to having lunch at the Skyline Club.

Saturday morning the guests from Kakuda will take part in the annual Sister Cities of Greenfield 5K Run/Walk, which takes place along the Pennsy Trail.

“The 5K is a fundraiser but it’s mostly to raise awareness about the Sister Cities program,” said Geesa.

The guests wrap up their schedule with a farewell lunch at the Greenfield-Central Educational Service Center and spend a final night with their host families before flying back home Sunday.

Geesa said it’s always rewarding to see the bonds grow between the Kakuda visitors and their Greenfield hosts, and to see the same thing happen with Greenfield students visit host families in Japan.

“It’s all about the relationships that are built. They last forever,” said Geesa, who hopes the Sister Cities program sparks a lifelong interest in learning more about cultures around the world.

“It just opens your eyes to so much when you’re there,” she said, of her past visits to Kakuda.

“There’s nothing like traveling all over the world. Once you do it, you’re hooked,” Geesa shared.

While he’s not yet an international traveler, 7-year-old Bear was happy to make a new friend in Ito as he admired her Apple watch in the lunchroom Monday afternoon.

Ito made sure to tell him and his friends that when they’re in the eighth grade, they too could take part in the Sister Cities exchange program and visit Japan.

Sister Cities of Greenfield is already planning for next year, when a group of Greenfield students will travel to Kakuda. Students must be in grades 8-11 in Greenfield-Central schools.

Adults must either be an employee of Greenfield-Central schools, Hitachi Astemo or the City of Greenfield to be a Sister Cities of Greenfield board member or be the member of a former host family, age 22 and up.

The next trip to Kakuda is scheduled for June 2025 when guests from Greenfield will stay with host families for approximately 10 days. While many expenses are paid through donations by local business and civic organizations, all participants must pay a fee of approximately $850.

Student and chaperone applications are due by Dec. 31 and are available at SisterCitiesofGreenfield.org.