Japanese Exchange Students Anxiously Head Home After Visit to Campbell Hall

A dozen Japanese students were visiting the homes of families from the Studio City-based Campbell Hall when their homeland was struck with one of strongest earthquakes in history.

They’re heading back Tuesday to Hiroshima, which is far from the devastation of the 9.0 earthquake or the tsunami damage or the threat of a nuclear power plant leak. But, they know there will be work and anxiety in their country when they return home.

“Maybe I would like stay here a little longer,” said 16-year-old Lin Tayumoto.

Thankfully, none of the visitors know anyone who was caught in the disaster area that occurred last week, but Campbell Hall Japanese teacher Yuriko Sakamoto said she had a few rattled relatives.

“My brother was in Tokyo in a tall tower and he thought he was going to die,” Sakamoto said. “He had to walk four-and-a-half hours to my parents house, and then another hour-and-a-half to his. But everyone is fine.”

 On Friday morning at about 4:30, Masahiro Kohata, the instructor who is chaperoning the dozen students, was woken up by the Campbell Hall host he was staying with in Studio City and was told he should come and see what’s on TV.

“I was shocked by what I saw, I could not believe it,” said Kohata.

Their team is from the Akifuchu Senior High School, a public school in Hiroshima, which is as far from Tokyo and the hardest hit parts of the Japan as Los Angeles is to San Francisco. When they could finally reach relatives overseas, many of them said they felt no tremors and were relatively unaffected by the disaster—although phone lines were down for more than a day.

This is the first time the school is trying a foreign exchange program with the private school in Studio City, and a first trip to the United States for all of them.

“It is a very nice visit, and many of them want to stay here and live here forever,” laughed Kohata. “But that has nothing to do with the tsunami happening, it is very beautiful here.”

Kohata, who manages the English Department at the Japanese school, said he was very impressed with the Japanese speaking abilities by the Campbell Hall students. There are six levels of Japanese language taught at the local school.

The students arrived on March 3, and toured Hollywood, Universal Studios, Disneyland, the Getty Museum, UCLA and other local sites. 

“At first, I was concerned that we would not be able to return and that our trip home would be delayed, but that is not the case,” Kohata said. “And yes, we are concerned about the nuclear power plant.”

Of course, Hiroshima is no stranger to disaster, and the radiation from the nuclear bomb dropped there has long since dissipated.

"We were happy to see that President Obama has told our people that the United States will send whatever help is needed, that made us feel very good," Kohata said.

The dozen students were chosen to go on the trip from the 600 students, after testing in English and on written tests.

On Monday, the day they were presenting their final reports with teams of Campbell Hall students, they spoke about things they learned about each other’s lives.

Masahiro Takano, 17, put his hands up to his ears to demonstrate Mickey Mouse and talking about Disneyland. He was working on a team with local students Lindsay Dauit and Slater Davis, who gave their reports in Japanese.

After they all gave their reports, they presented each other with small presents, and then hugs, and big smiles and some  tears.

“I’ll catch you on Facebook,” one of the Campbell Hall girls said to her new Japanese friend.