A group of Tajimi middle and high school students sang John Denver’s “Country Roads” during a mayor’s reception at Terre Haute City Hall Friday, part of a student exchange program facilitated by the Vigo County School Corp.
The visitors’ well-delivered performance in English earned them a hearty applause from their audience, which included elected officials as well as city, school district and other community representatives.
The 10 students and three adults from Tajimi, Japan — Terre Haute’s sister city — are spending a week in the community as part of an ongoing exchange program.
Terre Haute and Tajimi have been sister cities since 1962; the student exchange program began in 1988.
The last time Tajimi students visited Terre Haute was in 2016, and the last time Vigo County students went to Tajimi was in 2019, prior to the pandemic.
“We are so grateful to have you all here,” Mayor Brandon Sakbun said during a short program that included student singing and gift exchanges. “Our sister city relationship has enriched both of our communities.”
The Tajimi delegation’s visit to Terre Haute “adds vibrancy to our city,” he said.
Among the Tajimi students were Mao Shibata, 17, and Himari Oguri, 16, both high school students.
Shibata said she wanted to visit Terre Haute to learn more about Tajimi’s sister city. She especially enjoyed hiking at Turkey Run State Park and some of the natural beauty of Terre Haute, including the trees and flowers.
She described people she’s met here as “kind and friendly,” and when she goes back to Tajimi, she will tell others she had a “wonderful” visit.
Oguri wanted to learn more about life in America. “People in Terre Haute are so kind,” she said. “They teach me English and American culture.”
She especially enjoyed time spent with her host family.
This week, the Tajimi delegation’s itinerary has included visits to Indiana State University, Rose-Hulman, Fowler Park’s Pioneer Village, Turkey Run, the Sky Zone trampoline park in Plainfield and the Vigo County History Center. They attended a Terre Haute Rex baseball game.
Friday afternoon, they were to visit the new Larry Bird Museum in the Terre Haute Convention Center. Monday, they’ll visit Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College.
One of the teachers accompanying them, Izumi Ishii, described the week in Terre Haute as “a really good experience for them. It’s really meaningful for them, not only now, but in their future too.”
Before they arrived, they were very nervous, she said. But as their visit here continued, they grew in confidence, communicated more and clearly were enjoying themselves, she said.
Sakbun said the exchange helps the next generation of local leaders learn and grow.
Also, connecting with people from other countries and relationship building can facilitate economic development, he said.
VCSC Superintendent Chris Himsel said the district is excited to continue the tradition of student exchanges that began in 1988. “We’re hopeful we can have a delegation visit Tajimi sometime in the future,” he said.
He added, “It’s important we engage in conversation and learn from people who have different cultures so we can learn to focus on the things we have in common.”
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