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2019 Mino Boston Exchange Program Begins!

The 2019 Mino Boston Exchange Program began on August 22, 2019. The members of the program gathered together at the Tokyo station. There, they took the Shinkansen, the Japanese bullet train, to Okazaki, where the YAMASA language school is located in. Unfortunately, Alexandra fell ill and could not continue with the program.

Members of the program from left to right: Bingnan Zhou, Lei Lek In, Bill Chiem, Luis Guerra, Doug Smith, Alexandria Forte, Julie Huynh, and Bob Graham.

When they arrived at Okazaki, the members were picked up at the station and taken to the YAMASA language school. Then, they attended orientation to become familiar with the rules and expectations as students of the language school. Next, an opening ceremony was held to introduce the members to the school. At the ceremony, graduates of the school also gave out commencement speeches.

Bingnan Zhou introducing himself in Japanese at the opening ceremony.

After the ceremony, Kumiko-San from the YAMASA language school gave the members a tour of the area, including coffee shops, the cafeteria, and so on. At the end of the tour, she brought the members to the student village where they will be residing in during the time at the YAMASA language school. There, she gave the members a tour of the building, such as the restrooms, showers, kitchen, laundry room, and recreational room. After the tour, the members were given free time for the rest of the day to settle in.

Okazaki is a city in the Aichi prefecture. The city is well known for its Okazaki Castle as well as its many temples, such as Takisanji Temple. This quiet and peaceful city is the birthplace of Ieyasu Tokugawa, the creator of the Edo Period. The city of Okazaki is also close to Toyota City, the headquarters of Toyota.

Yamasa is a highly regarded Japanese language school located in Okazaki in the Aichi Prefecture. The school teaches a wide range of courses relating to the Japanese language and culture. The school has hosted a diverse group of students from over 80 countries.