Chiawana high school students embark on cultural exchange trip to Japan

The Brief

• Chiawana High School students departed for Japan as part of a 40-year sister city exchange program between Pasco and Yokohama

• The two-week cultural immersion experience allows students to live with host families and experience Japanese traditions firsthand

• The program creates lasting international friendships and breaks down cultural barriers between communities

PASCO, Wash. — A group of Chiawana High School students departed from Tri-Cities Airport this week for what many describe as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity: a two-week cultural exchange to Japan that has been connecting communities for four decades.

The students participate in the long-standing sister city exchange program between Pasco and Yokohama, Japan, which has facilitated cross-cultural understanding since the early 1980s. Each summer, students from both communities travel abroad to form friendships and experience life in a different culture.

“The opportunity to be immersed in the culture—it’s so different than just hearing one word or learning one tradition at a time. We’re going to be able to observe so much more,” said one participating student at the airport departure.

The exchange program represents more than just a cultural visit for these students. Many of the Japanese participants are setting foot in the United States for the first time, while the American students prepare to experience Japanese life up close through homestays with local families.

Amy Burke, International Club Advisor at Chiawana High School, emphasizes the profound impact the program has had on the Pasco community over its four-decade history.

“This has had a huge impact, especially on the Pasco community. The students and families who have been hosted in the past now have the chance to go to Japan and be hosted by families there. It’s a full-circle experience,” Burke said.

The program creates a reciprocal relationship where families who host Japanese students in Pasco often see their own children travel to Japan years later, staying with families who previously visited Washington state. This cyclical nature has strengthened the bonds between the sister cities, creating lasting international connections.

During their two-week stay in Japan, the Chiawana students will travel throughout the country, experiencing local culture, cuisine, and traditions firsthand. The immersive experience extends beyond typical tourist activities, enabling students to live with Japanese families and participate in their daily lives.

Burke describes the transformative nature of the experience for participants from both countries. The program systematically breaks down cultural barriers through personal connections, shared meals, and everyday interactions between young people from vastly different backgrounds.

“It will be an unforgettable experience for them,” Burke noted about the departing students.

The sister city relationship between Pasco and Yokohama has created a model for international youth exchange that emphasizes cultural understanding through personal relationships. Students return from the experience with expanded worldviews and often maintain friendships with their host families for years after the exchange.

The program demonstrates how sustained international partnerships can create meaningful connections between communities separated by thousands of miles and significant cultural differences. Through decades of student exchanges, both Pasco and Yokohama have built bridges of understanding that extend far beyond the two-week visits.

As the students begin their journey to Japan, they carry with them the hopes and excitement of their families and community. The connections they form during their stay will likely influence their perspectives on global citizenship and cross-cultural understanding for years to come.

The students will remain in Japan for two weeks and will maintain contact with their families throughout their stay. The experience represents months of preparation and anticipation for an adventure that participants consistently describe as life-changing.