Indonesian students helping Nagako Kusanagi (center), 58, take care of gentians (in Semboku-shi, Akita Prefecture)
Tetsuya Onda
– Farm stay programs for international students
(Semboku-shi, Akita Prefecture) –
Semboku-shi in Akita Prefecture is actively accepting international students mainly from Asia to offer them a chance to experience farming in Japan. On October 10, 2014, the city accepted approximately 100 Indonesian students for a farm stay program of three days and two nights, during which the students enjoyed Japanese food and life in the village and built close relationship with local Japanese farmers.
Keiko Takahashi showing how to cook Kiritampo to students her grand-children’s age.
The farm stay program for foreign students was part of International Youth Exchange programs led by the Japanese government. The students were introduced to 20 different host families, either farmers or farm house owners. Then they stayed at their house, helped their work on the fields, went shopping together and enjoyed the everyday life in the farming village.
Keiko Takahashi, 74, an owner of a guest house named Nodoka, showed how to cook Kiritampo, one of Akita’s local delicacies, to six female students. For the students who are more familiar with non-sticky long grain rice, the process of mashing up cooked rice and putting it on a chopstick seemed to be extremely interesting.
Male students who stayed at Farm House Haruyama requested its owner, Fumiko Yanada, 54, Sukiyaki for dinner. The hardest part for Fumiko was not preparing the food but explaining how to eat them, but she finally managed using translation app on her smart phone.
Fumiko Yanada explaining how to eat Sukiyaki with gestures and using translation app on smart phone.
People with different cultures and languages can still understand each other after they spend some time together. “I don’t wanna go home!” Some students said on the day they left. A very touching episode for the farmers. Nanien Yuniar, 25, said that people she met in the village were so kind, just like the Japanese families she knew from Japanese TV dramas.
Tourism is one of core industries of the city of Semboku, and the city has been actively involved in farm stay programs for students for a long time. Last year, the city welcomed approximately 14,000 students from all over Japan. In 2012, the city opened its door to overseas students. The international program started initially with Taiwanese students and expanded every year, putting new life to the rural city. This year, a total of 300 students from six countries including Cambodia and Myanmar will come and stay in Semboku.
A window person for the farm stay programs, Satomi Taguchi, 44, said, “It’s been so much fun for farmers to have international students at home. It even makes us feel full of energy. We would like to continue the involvement in the programs for years to come.”
Kikou, 65 , and Reiko, 59, Kawai holding list of nicknames for their students at first gathering.
(Oct. 19, 2014)