- Pendleton students and their chaperone travel each July to Japan as ambassadors to Minamisōma in Fukushima Prefecture, Japan.
- Each student stays with a host family, living in their home and eating breakfast and dinner with the Japanese family each day. The host families also entertain the students on free days and show them their everyday life and culture.
- Each day the students and chaperone reconvene at Sakura Cultural Center and are taken on many tours and activities throughout the Minamisōma region. They visit heritage sites, participate in cultural activities, are guided through museums and factories, and learn about the history of the area, both recent and ancient.
- Some highlights from the past few years include making chopsticks, visiting local high schools to participate in activities with the Japanese students, and learning how to surf.
- In the past, the students participated in the Soma Namaoi festival, a 1,000 year old tradition of Samurai on horseback in various competitions and ceremonies, including the Bon Odori parade, Samurai parade (where over 300 men and women in full Samurai armor and regalia parade through the town center on horseback), horse races, and flag capture competitions at the festival grounds. Now students participate in activities to learn about these traditions and events.
- During the final day of the visit, the Pendleton students and chaperone spent a day touring Tokyo.
Highlights and Photos below.
