CAMP ZAMA, Japan – Camp Zama volunteers joined local students at Zama City Hall on June 29 for a day of English-language practice, cultural exchange and games ahead of an upcoming sister city visit.
The event helped prepare Zama students to host peers from Smyrna, Tennessee — Zama sister city — who are scheduled to visit later this month.
Akua Sarpong, a senior at Zama Middle High School who participated with her family, said she appreciated the chance to connect with Japanese students her age — an opportunity she doesn’t often have.
“We had a lot of fun learning about each other’s favorite things and interests,” Sarpong said, adding that the local students guided her group through a nearby park and shopping mall. “Before meeting them, I thought communicating might be hard because of the language barrier, but I found that if we both make an effort, we can understand each other.”
Sarpong said the experience gave her more confidence in speaking with Japanese people.
“It wouldn’t feel like a real experience living in Japan if I didn’t talk to Japanese people,” she said.
Nene Ohkuma, a senior at a local high school, said rehearsing the city tour with the Camp Zama volunteers helped her identify areas to improve and provided insight into how Americans might perceive the tour.
“Even though Camp Zama is in my city, I rarely get to meet Americans my age,” Ohkuma said. “Talking directly with them about their lives made me feel closer to them.”
Ohkuma said she exchanged contact information with several volunteers and plans to stay in touch.
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