Nine of a group of 20 students from Lawrence's Sister City Hiratsuka, Japan, are photographed downtown Monday, July 27, 2015, while they shop and explore Massachusetts Street. The students arrived in Lawrence Friday, July 24, for an exchange visit with the Lawrence Sister Cities program and were staying with members of the Lawrence Sister Cities and the Friends of Hiratsuka program until Aug. 1. The exchange occurs each summer and the students range from 7th to 12 grade.

Twenty students from Lawrence’s Sister City Hiratsuka, Japan, were in town this past week for the annual exchange visit, during which they stayed with members of the Lawrence Sister Cities and the Friends of Hiratsuka program. The exchange occurs each summer with students ranging from seventh to 12th grade.

We caught up with them and asked what they liked best about their Kansas adventure.

Photos by Journal-World photographer John Young

Kazuharu Imai

“Lawrence has more forests than Japan has got.”

Nanami Itoga

“My best memory is talking with my host family and my friend. I couldn’t speak English very well, but I come to be able to speak English (well).”

Shion Tanibuchi

“I think nature is so rich and so beautiful in Lawrence.”

Anju Sasaki

“I like to watch the supermarket because it was very huge.”

Yume Ueyama

“Buffalo because they were big and a little bit scary.”

Kanon Sugiyama

“I enjoy Worlds of Fun. I rode a roller coaster twice. It was a lot of fun.”

Chitose Takeda

“I was surprised to see many things in the supermarket. I enjoyed shopping there.”

Dryoga Kato

“My number one memory in Lawrence is the reaction of the host … because I love American things — for example, American lifestyle, American fruit and American stories.”