Atago Kindergarten

The Japan Preschool Exchange was one of the most meaningful experiences of our trip, not only for Rufus but also for us as parents.

Before coming, we naturally wondered how a five-year-old who spoke very little Japanese would manage in a completely new preschool environment. Those worries disappeared remarkably quickly. From his very first day at Atago, Rufus found ways to connect with the other children through something that needed no common language — play.

He came home excitedly telling us about playing tag with his new friends in the field and going down the long water slide on the grassy slope while the teacher sprayed water. Over the following days, we saw photographs of two older girls sitting with him and reading him a Japanese book in the library. These small moments meant a great deal to us because they showed that he was not simply attending a Japanese preschool; he was being included in it.

One of the most memorable parts of the week was the おまつりごっこ. Rufus helped decorate the mikoshi with the other children and, on his final day, joined them in the parade, games and activities. It was wonderful that something so distinctly Japanese also became part of his own preschool memories.

But the moment that best sums up the entire exchange happened when it was time to leave.

Rufus had prepared small goodie bags for his 20 classmates. After giving them out, he hugged some of his friends goodbye. The whole class then followed him downstairs to see him off. As we carried him towards the car, he suddenly began crying uncontrollably. His teachers came outside to comfort him, while the children who had returned upstairs stood on the balcony calling and waving goodbye.

By then, both Mummy and Daddy were tearing too.

As we drove away, we wound down the car windows so Rufus could continue waving. He clutched his class photograph and looked at it while crying during the drive. Only after we left did he tell us that he had spotted his teacher waving goodbye from the balcony as well.

We came to Tokamachi hoping Rufus would experience Japanese preschool life. We did not expect that in only five days he would form connections strong enough to make saying goodbye so difficult.

Perhaps that was the most valuable lesson of the exchange: children do not always need to speak the same language to become friends. And for Rufus, it was also a little lesson in learning to let go, because even very good things sometimes have to come to an end.

Thank you for creating a programme that allowed our family to experience Japan not simply as visitors, but briefly as part of a community.

My kids are convinced everyone speaks English, because body language and expression made them understood. They love everyday always wanted to go back every morning, good sign. Discovering the program make us realize what our kids should be living in North America

Thank you

This program exceeded our expectations and we're so glad we tried it. Special thank you to Kiri for her patience discussing possible destinations with me for weeks and answering all my questions to try to find a good fit for our family. Special experiences for the kids included the snow house and sledding down the snow hill at school, participating in the local festival for good luck, getting to see a karate demonstration, and a field trip to the Tokamachi museum. It was really cool to hear the girls start to use some Japanese words and participate in songs & handing out lunch by the end of the week. Most of all it was gratifying to hear from the kids how much they enjoyed school!