A PARTY of youngsters have just returned from a three week stay in Japan on an exchange programme.

They took part in Bridport’s 15th International Exchange Programme with Tokyo’s Koyamadai Educational Institute.

The group was led by Andrew Blake, fulfilling the personal ambition he had set himself ten years earlier.

He said: “On a personal level the longevity of this exchange programme allowed me to make new friends whilst also keeping the relationships going which I built over ten years ago on my first trip to Japan as a young person on the exchange. I also managed to keep a promise I made as part of the 2001 to 2002 exchange, that I would one day return to Japan leading the exchange programme.”

He added: “The Koyamadai Foundation provided us with a very full programme of trips and activities and I think it was an experience of a lifetime for the young people who took part in this latest exchange.”

The programme included a river descent on boats, camping in the Chichibu National Park, cooking Japanese food, calligraphy, Kendo, a tea ceremony, riding the Bullet Train, fireworks and a day in the Koyamadai High School.

Visits included Kyoto, Hiroshima and the island of Miyajima as well as many areas in Tokyo.

Katherine Crabb, a member of the exchange, said: “I had an absolutely amazing time. It is an experience that not many people ever get.

“Making a friend that’s on the other side of the world and having them show you their culture and way of life is completely different from just being a tourist and staying in hotels.

“It was a huge learning experience both about myself, and my ability to cope in different situations and environments as well as about what else is out there in the world.

“I would advise anyone who is even remotely interested to get in touch and take up this amazing opportunity.”

Parent Emma Taylor wrote to the exchange co-ordinator, Arthur Woodgate to say how her daughter Phoebe had benefitted from the visit. She said: “All the fundraising and the commitment to the exchange programme has paid off for my daughter as she’s experienced making lifelong friends with wonderful people from a very different culture.”

Applications are now being accepted for inclusion in the 2013-14 exchange.

The programme is for young people aged 15 to 19.

Together with his friend, international lawyer Hiroki Suzuki, who also initiated the Young People’s Exchange Programme, Mr Woodgate is also launching a new and separate programme for adults.

The exchange programme is organised through the Bridport Young Persons’ Action Trust charity.

For more details contact Mr Woodgate on a.c.woodgate@bt-internet.com or call 01308 423767.