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More than 120 Japanese students visit man’amko
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Posted on Nov 19 2014
More than 120 Japanese students visited the Office of Aging’s Man’amko Center yesterday afternoon in an attempt to learn about the elderly’s experiences during World War II.
Hiroshima Johoku Junior and Senior High School students arrived around 12pm and entertained the man’amko. They then sat down and spoke to each other.
Two man’amko, Phillip Bernard, 81, and Soledad Benavente, 84, and one other man’amko who is Okinawan spoke to the students about their experiences during the war. The man’amko spoke in Japanese so that the students would understand.
Some of the man’amko also shared some Japanese songs with the students.
One student, Tsukasa Matsuzaki, said he is very thankful to be at the Man’amko Center and learn about the elderly’s experiences and exchange cultural notes with them.
Johoku’s assistant principal, Hiroshi Kujita, said that one of their objectives is to talk about world peace between nations and this cultural exchange program is an important aspect of that mission.
Tour organizer Yuki Yamashita of the Global School Information Network said this is the company’s first time to organize a school trip for Johoku to Saipan.
“This is part of their graduation tour so they had a choice to go to Hokkaido or Saipan and most chose to come to Saipan,” Yamashita said.
Yamashita said they will be returning next year for another cultural exchange.
Saipan Seniors Advisory Council president Maria Salinas said that although it was hard to communicate at times, overall it was a good experience.
“This is very commendable and very nice to have them come and it opens up their minds and show how the war was back then and I hope they come back again,” Salinas said.
The students are part of a homestay program in collaboration with the Saipan Mayor’s Office and the visit to the Man’amko Center was part of their activities for the whole week.
They arrived on Monday and will be departing Saipan this Friday.
