Nadia Stimack
News Reporter
The recent earthquake and tsunami in Japan created chaos for high school students from Fukushima, one severely damaged city. The students were concerned about their pending trip to study in Grand Junction.
Mesa State College has hosted a Japanese Exchange Program for high school students for 10 years in Grand Junction.
“The students came from Fukushima, where the nuclear plant is,” Program Director Kiyo Nishikawa said. “Each student was talking about the experience, being with friends or being with school teachers in different locations when the earthquake hit the city.”
Many students reported that they were inland when the tsunami hit and did not have to evacuate, but they felt the effects of the earthquake hours before. On March 19, 10 students left for America. Nishikawa said they could not use regular transportation because of the shortage of gas, and several students scheduled to come to the United States were not able to make it. The students that were able to come on the trip took a bus from Fukishima City to a bullet train station. Upon reaching the train, the exchange students were finally able to make it to the airport in Tokyo.
The high school students come from private Christian high schools in Japan. American families arranged to house the exchange students during their 10-day stay.
Nishikawa corresponds with agents in Japan, who act as his window to setting up the program for students. These agents recruit students for the program, and make the arrangement to study abroad.
The program gives students an opportunity to study the language, culture and overall experience of another country. English lessons are taught in the morning, and then a good portion of the day is set aside for sightseeing.
Through a translator, exchange student Nanami Kasaki said, “The American value is very different from the Japanese value, and through our experience here, we understand the global view of the world better.”
Although she said her visit to Grand Junction has been a great experience for her and her classmates, Kasaki said that she would like to come back and visit for a short time in the future, but plans on attending college at the University of Japan.
Mesa State has seen many Japanese students enroll and graduate after participating in the exchange program offered in high school.
“Many students major in culinary arts because they have a one year certificate program,” Nishikawa said. “Economically, it’s a very feasible thing to do for the family for one year. With the culinary arts program, they can also study English, which is very good experience for them.”
Nishikawa said that he will continue to do this program because of the experience and opportunity it offers high school students.

nstimack@mesastate.edu