Haddonfield Students Live and Learn In Japan

For one group of Haddonfield teens, summer break didn’t mean lounging by the pool or working at a part-time gig. Instead, they spent time 6,000 miles away immersing themselves in another culture.

The group from recently returned from Kasakabe, Japan, after living with host Japanese families for 11 days. They got this once-in-a-lifetime experience thanks to the ongoing .

“They come back more mature, more respectful,” says program director . “There is so much about the Japanese culture that’s serene, like the tea ceremony. Students compare their way of life with the Japanese way of life. One thing that’s obvious to them is that in Japan, they’re with families who are happy, even if they’re living in a small modest home.”

The exchange program dates back to the 1970s, when the Haddonfield Lions Club wanted to offer a Japanese student the opportunity to spend time in Haddonfield as part of an exchange. That became the inception of the present day international/local student exchange program, Brown says.

The exchange grew to an annual event several years ago as the benefits of mixing young people into different cultures became more obvious. For students heading on to college, the time spent in Japan helped their college applications. Some of them attribute their acceptance to college to their experience in Japan. For one young man enlisting in the military, the time spent living in Japan resulted in his military rotation to that country.

The teenagers returning from Japan have been in a world and culture quite unlike Haddonfield.

“I tell them before they go, don’t expect to live in a Haddonfield home. You could be sleeping in a room that becomes the dining room during the day,” Brown says. “But the biggest culture shock for the students, I think, is the Japanese bath.”

Aside from the physical differences, Haddonfield’s kids are immersed in a culture that has an ancient tradition very different from the American way of life. Certain concepts—respect, politeness and service to others—are ingrained in everyday life.

“For example, the belief that the Japanese hold regarding family life is different than ours, as are their spiritual practices,” Brown says. Such divergences, he adds, give the American students an opportunity to balance their worldview.

As for the Japanese students who come to live with Haddonfield families, Brown says the experience has provided both communities with lifelong connections. Brown introduced one Japanese student to another who was staying in New York. A year later, Brown was invited to Japan to attend their wedding—and was treated with great honor as their matchmaker.

The hospitality goes both ways. Brown’s wife Joan always makes their home welcoming and comfortable to all their visiting Japanese guests. And Brown has traveled to Japan 14 times and often stays in the homes of families that sent their teenagers to Haddonfield.

For more information about the Haddonfield Japanese Exchange program, contact Brown at billbrown08033@aol.com.

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