Japanese Exchange Program 2025

This semester has been a busy time for our Japanese Exchange Program at Koonung. Not only have we been visited by students from Matsudo City, students from Koonung have also travelled to Matsudo to be immersed in daily life at our sister school and with host families. Koonung and Matsudo have a strong and very long-standing relationship, and it has been a joy to see our students engage with each other and establish international friendships.

Japanese students visit Koonung 

Earlier this semester, in February, we welcomed nine students from Matsudo City, Japan. Students from Matsudo have regularly visited the College as part of the Whitehorse and Matsudo sister-city relationship, that was established more than 50 years ago!! Nine local students are recognised for their English achievements by the Matsudo City council and awarded a visit to Whitehorse City each year, strengthening the connection between the two cities.

The Matsudo students were welcomed with a special event attended by Whitehorse City council representatives, Deputy Mayor Cr Prue Cutts and Cr Mark Lane, who assisted with welcoming the students to our College and Whitehorse City. Thank you to our Koonung College Language Captains, Sinead Ling and Khushi Patel for their welcome speeches and assistance with running the event. Thank you also to Jay Huang (Year 11) for communicating translations of speeches into Japanese at the Welcome Lunch.           

Thank you also to the 11 students who volunteered their time to act as “buddies”, enthusiastically looking after the Matsudo students during their visit to Koonung, while taking advantage of the opportunity to practise their Japanese! We are so lucky to have such wonderful students at Koonung who so willingly offer their time to support the Matsudo students and our Japanese exchange program.

Year 10:

Victor Azubel

Zara Chan

Ellie Dyason

Jonathan Kamberidis

      Jason Kwok

                                                                        Natcha Lertprasertwech

                                                                       Saoirse Ling

                                                                      Xin Lynn Ong

                                                                    Josephine Wang

                                                                    Natalie Wong

                                                                    Lucky Wu

During their Koonung visit, Matsudo students visited Healesville Sanctuary where they met with Australian wildlife and enjoyed an Aussie-style BBQ, created artworks reflecting Victorian flora with Mr. Chris Henson and attended various classes with their “buddies”. In addition, the Matsudo students enjoyed sharing Japanese culture with some of our Year 10 students through fun activities and presentations, as well as participating in Japanese conversation classes with senior Koonung students.

Finally, we farewelled our visiting students from Matsudo. Even though the visit was for only one week, many new friendships and special memories were made. We look forward to welcoming more students from Matsudo next year in February.

A big thank you once again to the 11 Koonung “buddies”, our 2025 College Language Captains and all other teachers and staff across the College who assisted with activities and welcomed the students to their classes.

Japan Exchange Tour 

On Saturday 7 June this year, ten Koonung students, accompanied by Mr Andrew McNeil and Ms Mia Poulton, departed for Japan to visit our sister school – Matsudo Municipal High School – locally known as “Ichimatsu”! This year, eight students from Year 10 – Victor Azubel, Alyssa Boyd, Gyubi Cheung, Charlotte Chua, Ellie Dyason, Jonathan Kamberidis, Natcha Lertprasertwech and Natalie Wong and two Year 11 students – Charlene Chen and Amanda Frank Alves - participated in the Japan Exchange Tour.

After a very relaxed plane ride we touched down in Japan!

First thing we all noticed - it was hot!!! Japan was experiencing a severe heat wave – definitely a massive contrast to the cold weather here in Melbourne at the moment! From Narita Airport we headed straight to Tokyo, where we spent a few nights before travelling to Matsudo, to begin our homestay and school experience at Matsudo Municipal High School.

In Tokyo, we discovered our love for “konbini” (convenience stores), which have an amazing array of foods, goods, etc – and these stores are everywhere!! We stayed in Ikebukuro and visited places, such as, Shibuya, Shinjuku, Harajuku, Asakusa  and Akihabara.

We also squeezed in a day trip to Hakone, up in the mountains south-west of Tokyo. We visited the Hakone Open Air Art Museum, saw volcanic activity on the mountain-side, tasted “black eggs” cooked in the sulphur springs, journeyed on ropeways up the mountains, and soaked our tired feet in a foot bath in the local hot spring water within the museum grounds.

Although it was hot, we had been quite lucky with the weather – until this day! It was rainy, windy and strangely cold – not the best day for a lake sightseeing cruise!! But we survived!

And then, after a few days we were off to meet our host families in Matsudo! We arrived at Higashi-Matsudo Station and were warmly greeted by families, teachers and students. Our Koonung students were treated to a wide range of school experiences and were totally immersed in Japanese family life during our stay in Matsudo City. Being able to participate in a homestay is a very special experience. 

Here are some comments from our students about their homestay and school experiences:

“A significant highlight of my trip was definitely the homestay aspect. The difference in culture was incredibly vast and interesting! The food served every meal was absolutely delicious, and obviously very different to what I’m used to. I tried shogayaki, tsukune, shiso, kashiwamochi, and even natto! Trying natto was definitely strange, yet I really liked it! (I ended up having it everyday after that with my host family). I also played Shogi and Othello with my host buddy, and got some insight into more traditional games of Japan. The time I spent at Ichimatsu was also super memorable! The whole class was so welcoming, and the school was very calm and clean. I learnt a lot in classes (especially in 古典日本語、 敬語、 and geography class). I also made some friends in class, who I still talk to quite regularly! I was also really surprised at how well the school catered to student’s hobbies through extensive club activities! There were such a wide variety of clubs at the school, all afforded by their own specialised room, gym, or fields, such as ikebana club, calligraphy club, kendo club, kyudo club, rugby club, soccer club, modern dance club, amongst many others. I also really admire how the school encourages youths to practice traditional arts and sports through this. I learnt a lot of new Japanese words and phrases, not only from the classroom, but also from friends, who also taught me a lot of Japanese slang! This school exchange was so fruitful even just within such a short time; I truly learnt a lot, acquired new experiences, and made meaningful connections (a lot of us ended up crying when parting with our buddies on the last day of homestay).”

 By Charlotte Chua

“In the beginning of the homestay, it seemed very nerve-wracking about the potential language barrier. However, as it started out my host family were always very welcoming, considerate and open to anything I did. Because of that, I was able to settle nicely and became comfortable pretty quickly. Going to the school as well helped me a lot opening up to my host buddy especially, I was exposed to a lot of people my age and sharing that common trait made it easier for me to talk to them. All my classmates were also very kind people that helped me adjust and engage in the lessons. My favourite class was PE where we did softball and everyone was super inclusive, letting me actively participate with them so I had a lot of fun that period! Then after our club activities one evening, my buddy, her friends and I were walking back to the train station, and we just talked about a bunch of random stuff, and it was so chill! Staying at the house with my host family and hanging out with my host siblings became very chaotic towards the end too. On the first night I was still very quiet and reserved, but in the final nights of me staying there I felt so relaxed and happy to be there! The entire week was a great opportunity for me to experience that everyday life in Japan, even if it was just for a glimpse!”

By Alyssa Boyd

“Although the entirety of the Japan tour was incredibly amazing, unique, and unforgettable, my favourite and most memorable part was the 6-day-long homestay experience. I was a little nervous in the beginning, but my host student Misaki was quick to make me feel very welcome whether it was at home, school or anywhere else. Throughout my time at Ichimatsu, the students and staff were so kind and generous, showering me with compliments and endless souvenirs. I had so many new experiences at the school, such as flower arrangement, calligraphy, and conversation practice. On the weekend, Misaki and I explored the area around Tokyo. Some of our amazing adventures were to Tokyo tower, a digital art museum, a famous temple named Naritasan and an absolutely delicious sushi train! I was really sad when it came time to leave our host families, because they had been so incredibly kind and compassionate. However, I am very grateful for the memories and friendships I made, and I truly hope to see my host family again one day! “

By Ellie Dyason

“One thing I liked about the homestay was that they had side dishes with each meal. Such as potato salad, pickled cucumbers and konjac which I really enjoyed! The homestay experience was amazing. At first, everyone was really nervous to meet their host families but by the end of the homestay we were crying when leaving them. On our third day of homestay, we got to go to DisneySea! It was an extremely fun experience. The wait times for the rides were quite long but it was fun and worth waiting for! I loved the Japan tour as I got to visit many places, learn about some of Japan’s history (such as Hiroshima’s history), and make new friends at the sister school!”

By Natcha Lertprasertwech

“The homestay experience was truly amazing. My host family was incredibly kind and always willing to chat with me, which made me feel warm. One of the highlights was when they took me to a church and museum dedicated to Johrei, a spiritual practice in Japan. I learnt not only about Japanese religion but also gained some insight into the meanings behind certain kanji characters. They also introduced me the traditional customs when visiting a Shrine, such as bowing, washing hands and the respectful way to make offerings and prayers. This provides me a deeper understanding of Japanese culture and spirituality. At Ichimatsu High School, the students were welcoming and friendly. Although their daily schedule was quite intensive and busy, but I feel they enjoyed the subjects. What impressed me the most was their commitment to club activities every day after school. My most exciting and heartwarming moment was when I first met up Kokoro, the student I hosted last year. It was incredible to catch up a person from a foreign country. That moment made the whole trip even more special and meaningful.”

By Natalie Wong

“Earlier this June, I was grateful to be part of Koonung's Japan exchange tour 2025. It was a memorable experience for me to be involved in the homestay and school life in Japan while also exploring different parts of this wonderful country. Japanese school was really different from what I expected. We first had to change into indoor shoes at the entrance and store our outdoor shoes in the shoe lockers to keep the school environment clean. In Japan, each student is assigned to a homeroom which is the classroom where the students and their teachers meet every day throughout the school year. They usually stay with the same classmates during classes and wait for the teachers to come to the room. This is very different compared to Koonung where we switch to a different classroom every period. They also don't have recess. Instead, they have 10 minutes between each class. During lunch they are only allowed to eat inside the homeroom and the school also doesn't have a canteen. In the homeroom class I was assigned to, everyone was super friendly and inclusive. They even taught me some of the Japanese slang such as "sorena" (Exactly/ So true), "kusa"(LOL) and "maji"(seriously/really?). Although the school experience was only two days, I felt I had already adapted to it. My favourite thing about this trip was probably the homestay experience. Not only I was able to enjoy amazing cooking from my host mother but I also found out that my host brother and I have very similar hobbies. This is also the first time I used Japanese phrases like "Itadakimasu" before eating and "Ittekimasu" when leaving the house which made me feel more connected to the Japanese culture. Overall, this trip allowed me to learn more about the Japanese culture while also seeing the world in different way than I did before. I would definitely recommend other students to participate in future exchange tours.”

By Gyubi Cheung

 Here are some of our memorable experiences at Matsudo Municipal High School:

We were fortunate to participate in an “ikebana” workshop and created these beautiful flower arrangements according to the Japanese practice and directed by Matsudo Ikebana Club students and their generous teacher.

 We also participated in a calligraphy workshop.

As part of our preparations for the exchange tour, we prepared an “Australian-flavoured” presentation for our sister school. This involved speeches from our students in Japanese, as well as delivering an entire group presentation spoken only in Japanese. They all did an amazing job and were absolutely fantastic ambassadors for our College!

Thanks to the generosity of Matsudo City council, we were all treated to a day visit to DisneySea. All of the host brothers and sisters and school buddies joined us. It was a great opportunity for our students to spend time with their new friends and strengthen bonds between the students.

Sadly, the day came to farewell our wonderful host families, buddies and teachers from Ichimatsu. They took amazing care of us all!! We hope to see many of them again here in Australia some day!

After saying “sayounara” to our host families and school buddies, we took a “shinkansen” to Kyoto. During our stay in Kyoto we visited significant places of cultural significance and took day trips to Nara, Osaka, Himeji, Hiroshima and Miyajima.

In Kyoto we visited Nishiki Markets, Yasaka Shrine, Kiyomizu-dera, Kinkaku-ji, Ryoan-ji, and the Arashiyama area. 

In Nara, we met with some very chilled “shika” (deer) at Nara Park – although Ms Poulton seemed to attract the more excitable ones!! (No pictures of that incident included here!)

We then walked to Todai-ji Temple, one of the largest wooden structures in the world, and where the “daibutsu” (Big Buddha) is housed.

Before heading to Dotonbori (below) for dinner, we visited Osaka Castle and its museum to learn about the history of the castle and a little about the ruling families in Osaka many hundreds of years ago.

A big day of shinkansen travel allowed us to visit Himeji Castle and experience walking among its incredible and impenetrable fortress. We climbed to the top level of the castle and the views of Himeji from the castle’s keep were beautiful!

After a quick visit to Himeji, we hopped back onto a shinkansen with our “ekiben” (bento box lunches) and headed for Hiroshima. Here we witnessed first-hand the remains of the nuclear fallout that occurred during World War 2 as we walked past the A-Bomb Dome and through the Hiroshima Peace Park and Museum. It was a very somber experience.

After visiting Hiroshima we took a ferry to Miyajima Island for a stroll around the shoreline. The island is famous for Istkushima Shrine and its big red “torii” gate that sits in the water as the entrance to the shrine.

To end our visit to Hiroshima, we stopped in at Okonomiyaki-mura for some Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki for our dinner. Good value and VERY good food!!

We then spent a final day in Kyoto and had a last meal in Japan together at a Kaiseki ryouri/Shabu Shabu restaurant where we were served by a lovely waitress who taught us many things about the food we were eating and how to eat it properly. 

And then it was time to return home – arriving back in Melbourne on the 21st June! What an amazing group of Koonung students!! It was hot, we packed a lot into our time in Japan and learnt so much about the country, while making new friends at our sister school and within our tour group too!

Photo of the back of our amazing tour T-shirts designed by Ellie Dyason and Natcha Lertprasterwech, with input from the whole team!!

Thank you everyone for a fantastic and super memorable trip!

Mia Poulton 

Assistant Senior School Coordinator

Overseas Exchange Coordinator

Japanese, Maths and Music Teacher