American and Japanese high school students skip rocks by the Kintaikyo Bridge during the Student Educational Exchange and Dialogue near Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan, Sept. 21, 2025. (Janiqua Robinson/Stars and Stripes)
MARINE CORPS AIR STATION IWAKUNI, Japan — Dozens of American and Japanese high school students crossed language and cultural barriers over the weekend as they explored the landmark Kintaikyo Bridge near this U.S. base southwest of Hiroshima.
Thirty-six students on Saturday and Sunday participated in Student Educational Exchange and Dialogue, or SEED, which encourages teenagers from both nations to learn about each other’s traditions while building friendships.
The program, now in its fifth year, is sponsored by Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Department of Defense Education Activity. It was hosted by MCAS Iwakuni and, for the first time, included activities in the surrounding community.
“I could tell that the people actually cared less about giving a good impression and more about seeing kids actually interact with other children,” Elijah Seay, a ninth-grader at Matthew C. Perry High School on the base, said Sunday.
American and Japanese high school students explore the Kintaikyo Bridge during the Student Educational Exchange and Dialogue near Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan, Sept. 21, 2025. (Janiqua Robinson/Stars and Stripes)
Seay, who has lived in Japan for three years without learning the language, said the first day included a lot of games in the high school library. He initially expected Americans and Japanese to stick to their own groups. Instead, he said, the students quickly mixed.
“I think it’s really neat that we get to interact with the Japanese people,” he said. “I think it just proves that no matter skin color, nationality, what language you speak, you know, most of the time, kids will find a way to be friends with each other.”
Japanese student Kanako Ando said she joined the event at the urging of a friend.
“I also had an interest in communicating with American students; it was challenging but fun. If there’s an opportunity to participate next year, I want to,” she said in Japanese.
American and Japanese high school students explore the Kintaikyo Bridge during the Student Educational Exchange and Dialogue near Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan, Sept. 21, 2025. (Janiqua Robinson/Stars and Stripes)
The exchange not only builds ties but also provides Japanese teens with more opportunities to practice English, Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Sasaki Sotaro said Sunday.
The weekend concluded with a competition in which teams created slogans and advertisements for the more than 300-year-old Kintaikyo Bridge, which crosses the Nishiki river and was rebuilt after a typhoon washed portions of it away in 1950. At the closing ceremony, Col. Kenneth Rossman, commander of MCAS Iwakuni, urged the students to carry forward what they had learned.
“Meeting new friends can be challenging at first. It often takes a little courage to break the ice and begin connecting, but what I’ve learned is that this is an essential part of growing as a person,” he said. “What you accomplished this weekend is truly special: You overcame language and cultural barriers to come together as a team. Well done, everyone.”
AloJapan.com