In late March, Townsend Harris High school welcomed students from its Japanese sister school, Shimoda High School, marking their first visit since 2024. Over two days, students participated in a series of activities designed to foster cultural exchange and build connections across language barriers.
The first day began with tours of THHS led by students in the Japanese program, giving visiting students a glimpse into daily school life in New York. Afterward, students gathered in the library, where Shimoda students introduced aspects of Japanese culture through activities such as origami, calligraphy, and trying on traditional clothing.
Sophomore Alisha Saelao described the experience as both exciting and memorable. “When I first met the Shimoda students, I was really excited to greet them since this was my first interaction with students from Japan. I knew that THHS had a sister school in Japan but this was my first time actually seeing them visit our school.”
For many students, the exchange offered a first opportunity to interact with peers from another nation and culture. “I was really nervous, but also excited,” said sophomore Leah Dennis. “I haven’t had much experience talking to people who didn’t speak English, but I was looking forward to asking them what they thought about America and our school.”
“When they had asked me if I wanted to try on a kimono, I was a bit hesitant at first but I eventually gave in just to experience what it was like to wear a kimono,” said Alisha. “The process took about 10 minutes, but the students were really sweet and let me borrow it for an hour.”
Japanese teacher Megumi Smiros said the visit was especially valuable because it gave students the rare chance to communicate directly with native speakers in a real-world setting. “They were more comfortable communicating with the native Japanese students,” she said of her students. “They know they’re confident in how to communicate with them.” She added that students had already met through Zoom calls before the trip, which helped them feel more connected.
On the second day, students traveled together to sites across New York City, including The Metropolitan Museum of Art and Times Square. For Leah, the Met was a fitting place to interact with the Shimoda students because “it is inclusive.” She said, “The Met is full of culture from all over the world,” said Leah.
Shimoda students also reflected on their experiences visiting the United States. Third-year student Keita Tsuchiya said he was most excited to experience things that felt distinctly “American”. He described the United States as “wide and kind of limitless” noting that speaking English in America felt more natural compared to the more structured way it is taught in Japan. He also described how talking with locals in English impacted him, saying it left “a great impression.”
Similarly, second-year student Mao Ohnishi said that while communication could be challenging, the experience was still meaningful. He said that going around together and making origami helped everyone connect.
World Languages Assistant Principal Rafal Olechowski highlighted the broader goal of the exchange. “I hope that our students, and the Japanese students, see that we are all just people and that we do the same things. We laugh, we play, we have classes, we eat stuff, and we have fun,” he said.
Looking ahead, Mr. Olechowski hopes to expand the program, including the possibility of a THHS trip to Japan. “The goal for me is a trip to Japan every four years. So this way a kid who starts taking Japanese classes will have a chance to go on a Japanese trip,” he said.
