JENESYS 2018 - Hockey Exchange with Indian High School Students

18 high school students from India accompanied by 2 hockey coaches visited Okuizumo Town in December 2018 for a period of 5 days under the JENESYS Exchange Program. The exchange this time was based on hockey, and was the first of its kind organised under JENESYS. 

The 5 day program included friendly hockey matches, visit to elementary and high school, cultural exchange, sight seeing and home stay experience.

DAY 1

Students from India arrive at Izumo Airport, Shimane
Although the students were tired from the journey, their spirits were lit by the joy and excitement towards a whole new experience. 
                                              
                                                                                                                                                                          

Visiting Izumo Grand Shrine,  one of the three most important shrines in Japan. 
If you are in Shimane, you know there is no way you can miss a visit to the Izumo Grand Shrine. The students had never visited a Shinto shrine before, so each new discovery, was filled with curiosity and amazement. The "omikuji' (fortune slips) excited students the most, as they all tried their luck with each draw. 
                                              
 

Welcome party at Minari Cycling terminal, students meet their host families for the first time
After a hearty lunch at an Indian restaurant in Izumo and visit to the Izumo Shrine, it was time to head towards Okuizumo. The students were amazed by the natural beauty of the town, and instantly fell in love with its serenity. 
In Okuizumo, they were welcomed with a warm reception party, where they were also introduced to their respective host families. 
                          

Despite of the initial worries regarding communication, the language barrier was soon overcome by the participants' will to communicate and know more about each other. Hand gestures, broken English and hilarious results by google translate followed by laughter, could sum up the whole evening. 
                          

DAY 2

Visit to Minari Elementary School
Day 2 began with a visit to Okuizumo's Minari Elementary School. The students visited the school, sat through a cultural lecture and also played super hockey with the school children. The kids were so excited to see the students from India that, some  started screaming "namaste" as soon as they spotted them at the school corridor. It was perhaps the very first time for these children to see so many people from India at their school. Their eyes breamed with curiosity, as they came to take a peek at the Indian students one after another. 
                         

Visiting Itohara Memorial and Yokota High School 
The students were taken to the Itohara Memorial Estate for local sightseeing and given a brief introduction about the town's history that emerged from tatara practice. After a brief sightseeing, the students visited Okuizumo's Yokota High School, where the school principal made a presentation on the school's history and achievements. 
                           
 

Indian students observe Japanese high school classes and tour the school facilities
The students got to observe how classes are conducted in Japanese high schools and even took part in the English class. They were also shown around the school facilities. For the Indian students, the fact that students in Japan clean their washrooms by themselves, came as a huge surprise. The second surprise for the day, came from the discovery that, the Japanese students stay in school till 7PM after classes for club practice. 
                           
 

Indian students enjoy the hospitality of Yokota High School students and also learn to make some Japanese rice balls
After the school tour, students participated in tea ceremony hosted by the tea ceremony circle of Yokota High School. It was their first time drinking an authentic matcha, so it took them some time to process the taste. However, it was a valuable cultural experience for them and they really appreciated the host's hospitality. The students also made onigiri together with Okuizumo's delicious Nita Rice and locally made pickles. 
                           

In the evening, host families came to receive the Indian students at Yokota Community Center. The students could now finally begin their home stay experience. 
                                               

DAY 3

Practice match with the hockey team of Yokota High School
For most of the students from India, it was their first time witnessing a snowfall. But despite of the adversities, they did a great job on the field. They were filled with admiration towards the students from Okuizumo, who did not waver at the thought of playing hockey amidst snowfall. 
                           

                            

After a grueling hockey session in the snow, time for lunch!
It was amazing to see that, despite of the linguistic hurdles, the hockey game helped the students break the ice and understand each other through the game. 
                           

By the end of the second day, the students had already befriended each other, and it appeared as if they have known each other for much longer than half a day. They were talking about hockey, food, game techniques and Bollywood dance as well. Somewhere around the middle of the lunch party, the boys started dancing on Bollywood music. Neither did they understand the lyrics, nor did they know the dance, but looking at the students, interact with each other through the means of sports and music was also a valuable experience in itself. Words are for no doubt, an indispensable element for inter cultural communication but that day, the students communicated through their youthful hearts. 
                                

DAY 4

Super hockey practice with Yokota High School students
Due to continuous heavy snowfall, the venue for hockey was shifted indoors, and the students tested each other's capabilities in mixed teams. It was fascinating to witness the students communicating through the language of hockey. 
                        

Despite of being from very different countries, both the sides realized that there is always something to bond over if you open your hearts to each other.  
          　　　 　  

 

DAY 5

Farewells come sooner than expected
The 4th and final night of homestay, was already coming to an end. Both the students and the host families did a great job adjusting with people from a completely different nation. With the warm and kind hospitality of the host families, it did not take the students much time to feel like home. And for the locals as well, the experience lead to a realization that irrespective of their nationality, the kids did not differ a lot from their Japanese counterparts.
                                 

                                                        

Sightseeing in Matsue; Visit to Matsue Castle and riding the traditional Horikawa Yuran boat  
On their final day in Shimane, the kids were taken to the capital city Matsue. They visited the Matsue Castle, and also rode the Horikawa River excursion boat. With this, a 4 night and 5 day stay in Okuizumo came to an end. We hope that, this exchange helped the students make beautiful memories in Japan and will unfold into something valuable in near future for them.