TOKONAME SISTER SCHOOL VISIT

Earlier this term we were privileged to have our Japanese sister school, Tokoname Senior High School, visit us here at Brighton Secondary College. Although it was a whirlwind visit, it left a lasting impact on students, staff and families from both schools. The sister school visit  provided us with an opportunity to learn about each other’s culture and customs. The highlight for many was the chance to form new friendships, despite the language barriers! The shared activities—from classes to excursions—allowed us to appreciate our similarities while celebrating our differences.  

The success of this program hinges on the generosity of our wonderful Brighton community, with 19 families welcoming a Japanese student into their homes. Their incredible warmth and hospitality ensured that our visiting students instantly felt like part of the family. 

The sister school visit was an enriching experience and we look forward to continuing this meaningful connection in 2025 when Brighton will visit Tokoname Senior High School.  

Student and family reflections 

Brighton student: Darcy Curtain, Year 10  

Although the time with my Tokoname student was short, it was packed with fun. On the first weekend I had with her, my family and I decided to head to Melbourne City. We took the train to Flinders, and from there went to see the colourful street art laneways that truly captured Melbourne’s eccentric style. We continued to walk down the bustling streets, wanting to make the most out of the stay. On the weekdays we had school, where we went as a group to the moonlit sanctuary to see Australia's native animals. The Victoria Winter Market was on Wednesday night that week, and we went with a whole bunch of the host families and their students, eating a range of different foods and taking lots of pictures. This stay was not only a chance for the Tokoname students to learn about our culture, but I also learnt something as well. On Thursday we had a farewell ceremony filled with lots of delicious food and amazing speeches. But the thing that interested me the most was when they set up a calligraphy station and wrote beautiful kanji. It was an amazing thing to witness, and I learnt a lot more about the Japanese culture. Overall, it was such a fun and heartwarming experience, and I am so grateful to have been a part of it! 

Brighton Student: Grace Garland, Year 8 

During the week of hosting Tokoname students, I learnt much more about Japanese culture and Otoha taught me lots of new words in Japanese. We visited the Melbourne aquarium, Brunetti, and some other main places to visit in Melbourne. It was lots of fun getting to show a Japanese student around our hometown and the place we live in. Otoha was wonderful to my family and she was so kind to us, gifting presents and leaving kind letters behind. It was an honour and a great experience to host a Japanese student and I hope to maybe go to Japan next year to see the culture and differences in Japan!  

Brighton Student: Tokoa Year 10 

During this week I was able to meet up with my host student who I hadn’t seen since last September when I went on the Japan trip. We did many fun things together such as going bowling, shopping and exercising together. It was a great way for me to improve my fluency of the Japanese language allowing me to speak more naturally, which is an important way to learn as opposed to textbook questions. I was able to show him all the great things about Australia and how different our country is to Japan. The school experience was good too as I was able to show him some of the various after school clubs like badminton that he attended one day as well. All in all it was a great experience and I truly had an excellent time. 

Brighton student: Alice Wongsakom, Year 10  

Our family's homestay experience was truly a remarkable and memorable event. Last year, my daughter visited Japan and was hosted by a wonderful family. We were deeply grateful for the hospitality they extended to her, and in return, we had the privilege of hosting their daughter when she came to Australia. This experience was not only enjoyable but also provided us with a much-needed break from our busy work schedules. It allowed us to reconnect as a family, participate in various activities together, and exchange cultural knowledges with the Japanese student we hosted. One interesting thing we noticed was that when we took the Japanese student out for dinner, she slurped her noodles loudly. My daughter explained to us that, in Japanese culture, slurping noodles is actually a sign of appreciation for the meal. We also visited places we had never been before, shared many joyous moments and learn more about our cultures' different. Overall, it was an exceptional experience, and we are eagerly looking forward to the opportunity to host again in the future. 

-----

Thank you to everyone involved in making this an incredible experience for all, we could not have done this without you!