Japanese exchange student Sawako Ishihara arrived Tuesday in Lawrence to begin soaking up culture.

“I hope to have a great time in Lawrence,” the 16-year-old said during a welcoming reception Tuesday at Lawrence Arts Center, 940 N.H.

The finger-food gathering united 20 students visiting from Hiratsuka with members of Lawrence host families, as well as people who participated in previous sister-city exchanges to Japan.

The latest group of Lawrence teenagers to tour Hiratsuka returned this month from a 10-day trip.

The young members of the Hiratsuka delegation have the same amount of time to capture a slice of America.

“I hope to study American customs and culture,” Ishihara said. “My parents told me to have a great time  and to help the host family’s mother.”

She’ll be staying at the home of Sanjay and Anju Mishra. Aside from living the life of average Lawrence residents, the travelers will go to Topeka and spend a day at Worlds of Fun in Kansas City, Mo.

Scott Chaussee, who has visited Japan three times and plans to study Japanese this fall at Kansas University, said during the reception that the city’s new guests would be surprised that the reality of the United States is different from what they’ve been taught.

He experienced the same culture shock on visits to Japan.

“It teaches them tolerance,” Chaussee said.

Lawrence Mayor Sue Hack, a longtime supporter of the exchange program, said students also would see similarities.

“Kids are kids,” she said. “Families are families.”

Aya Patterson, who was born in Japan and was part of a student exchange to that country several years ago, said she hoped Lawrence residents would be as gracious hosts as the Japanese have been to Americans.

“I’m from there, and I didn’t know they welcomed you so much,” she said.

This is the 12th year of the Lawrence-Hiratsuka exchange.