In 1874, Yochisha Elementary was established, with Yoshiro Wada appointed its first headmaster. In 1995, Mr Kato, alongside Roger Trafford, Headmaster of the Dragon at the time, to set up the Keio Yochisha Exchange in 1995. Fast forward to today, and Keio Yochisha is celebrating 150 years.
We were delighted to hear from Sam Horbye (OD 2006) who recently reconnected with his Japanese Exchange Partner after all these years …
A Keio Reunion
20 years ago, to the month exactly, I departed to Tokyo to spend time with my Japanese exchange partner, Yutaro. I remember vividly arriving at night landing in Tokyo Narita airport, tired but so excited. The following 2 weeks were incredibly memorable: a visit to see sumo wrestling, onsens [Japanese hot springs], sleeping on tatami mats, trips to baseball, sushi, and learning from Japanese teachers at Keio school.
Fast forward 20 years and having just exited my company, I thought now could be the perfect time to return with my girlfriend. I tracked down Yutaro on Facebook and tried to add him but he ignored my request [I guess he couldn’t remember who I was]. I tried a second time and he accepted! He kindly invited us to his parents house where we had Shabu Shabu [meat and vegetables in broth] and reminisced about our experiences and shared photos from all those years ago. Yutaro now captains the Shimizu Sharks Rugby team in Tokyo and his sister is an Olympian training for LA Olympics in 2028.
For anyone thinking about participating in this exchange, I can only say – DO IT!
Sam Horbye (OD 2006)
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