With the cooperation of the Ecumenical Relations Committee of the National Federation of UCCJ Women’s Society, ARI has been running the “Kyodan Homestay Program” in the Tokyo metropolitan area since 1973. In June, just as the participants are starting to get used to life at ARI and begin to feel homesick, it all begins with the simple phrase, “Let’s go to ‘Japan’!”
Rather than expecting anything special, host families welcome our participants as if they were “a daughter or son studying in Tochigi who has come home for the weekend.”
Some participants shared their fun memories with us: “I rode the subway!” “After church, I went to see the ocean.” “I helped wash the dishes.” “I went to a park—I forgot the name, though.” “I was surprised at how energetic they were, even though they were over 90!” “They taught me how to count in Japanese: ‘ichi, ni, san…’” and so on.
(By Yukiko Oyanagi, Associate Director / Curriculum Assistant)
