This was the third time for us to host for WCI. Each time, we look forward to encountering young adults from various countries around the globe, and this has become one of our fun annual events. This is because by being a host family, we gain many things that could not be learned by being abroad for business or as a tourist. It is created through meeting and living with a new family member from another country and culture. We look forward to discussing and feeling our life styles, cultures and ways of thinking in various daily life situations.

This summer, my eight year old daughter started studying English at her own will. This was probably another result of our encounter with WCI and becoming a host family. Although we support WCI as a host family, I always feel that we gain even more from all of you from WCI.

This time, Christine, a Korean American came to our household. As she is majoring in Japanese at her college, she spoke great Japanese to us. Since she has a lot of interest in the Japanese language and culture, we discussed many and various things everyday. I think that this time was also an important one for us to look back on our own country. Our time spent with Christine will continue to be our family treasure.

We hope that WCI will continue on with evermore richened activities. We also look forward to gaining family members all over the world. A final, big thank you to World Campus International!

(Yasuhiro Takahashi, Toride City)

One thing that is great about the World Campus — Japan tour is your involvement with host families. I have found that there are many similarities and differences between my host families in Ueda City and Tama. Maybe it is because each city is so different from the other; Ueda City is very much rural with its rolling mountains, and Tama is a suburban center near Tokyo. Despite the contrast in locations, both families were awesome! They were so caring and loving towards me.

In Tama, I stayed with the Kitami family. Mie was my host mom and Atushi was my host dad, they were so amazing and nice. I also had a 13 year old host brother named Shun and a nine year old host sister named Ami. The children were so nice and adorable. Even at the very beginning, I could feel that they really loved me, because they tried carried my super heavy suitcase up to the 3rd floor! I knew that they couldn’t do that and I told them that I could lift it by myself, but they still tried to be nice and helpful. Oh, so so so cute! They are also a very sporty bunch. Shun plays tennis, and he is in the tennis club, and Ami swims a lot and can do any type of swimming style you can think of. I was never bored with such active kids.

The parents truly cared for me. They gave me so much food because they didn’t want me starving and it was delicious by the way. They also really paid attention to my health, because they knew that I am allergic to cold and dust, so they always asked me about the house condition.

One of the best experiences with the family actually involved a few other participants and their host families! You know what they said, the more, the merrier! The Kitami family just happened to be quiet close with four other families who were also hosting World Campus — Japan participants. One evening the five families all went to a peaceful park to have a picnic and play with fireworks. The food and fireworks were fine but it was the families that made so enjoyable. The families also went together to Disneyland on Host Family Day! Oh how exciting that was! I was in Japan, in Disneyland! It was really unbelievable for me. I was in Disneyland!

The Kitami family really treated me like their one of their own. They would love me so much and they have become a tattoo in my mind and soul.

(Aloysia Lita, Indonesia)

Hi, my name is Jonathon Cygnaeus, and I am from Stockholm, Sweden.

As a participant in the World Campus — Japan program, we stay in many host families. I had a great opportunity to live with the head of the Local Organizing Committee in Kumamoto city, Mrs. Maeda, along with Jamshid Ganiev from Tashkent, Uzbekistan.

I had a great time from the moment I entered the house until I left. We had great discussions about several subjects, including life in Japan to bigger questions in society. They also taught me some simple Japanese. I really enjoyed staying with the family because of their immense generosity and kindness.

One special highlight of my time staying with the Maeda family was visiting Mount Aso, the biggest active volcano in the country and one of the largest in the world. It was one of the most impressive sites I have seen.

It is host families like the Maeda family with their huge generosity to open their home to a total stranger that really makes World Campus — Japan program such a great experience.

Thank you to all the host families we have had on the road for opening your homes to us and for including us in your daily life, really making us feel like part of your family. We will treasure the memories made with you for years to come.

(Jonathan Cygnaeus, Sweden)