photo by: Sylas May/Journal-World

Host parent Sandy Warner takes a group selfie with the Hiratsuka delegation and their American friends at a celebration on Thursday, July 30, 2026, at the Carnegie Building. At left is Friends of Hiratsuka Chair James Hilliard, and at right is Warner's daughter, Lizzy.

He went ax-throwing and learned some homestyle cooking, got to meet the governor and a slobbery family dog, all in one whirlwind week in Kansas.

But one of the best memories of the trip for Yoshifumi Ishikawa is among the very first:

“I went to the Freddy’s burgers,” he said.

That’s right, it was his host family taking him to Freddy’s Frozen Custard. His host mom, Sandy Warner, says it was love at first bite. As the other student visitors from Hiratsuka, Japan, all pose for a photo with their American hosts on Thursday at a party at the Carnegie Building, she jokes with him to get in the photo, or no more Freddy’s for him.

“This is my adopted son now,” Warner says.

photo by: Sylas May/Journal-World

Yoshifumi Ishikawa, right, of Hiratsuka, Japan, snaps a photo at a celebration on Thursday, July 30, 2026, at the Carnegie Building.

The students are on exchange for the belated 35th anniversary celebration of Lawrence’s Sister City relationship with Hiratsuka. The two cities formalized their partnership in 1990, and middle and high school students have regularly gone back and forth between the two to live with a host family and experience what life is like in another culture.

James Hilliard, chair of Friends of Hiratsuka, has been involved in these exchanges for at least 25 years, maybe closer to 30. He said he first became involved when his neighbors, who were the trip coordinators, asked if they would host a couple of kids. At first, he and his wife said no, because they didn’t speak Japanese. But they eventually agreed to try it.

“After we homestayed a couple of kids, we were hooked,” he said.

One of the adults from Hiratsuka on this year’s trip, Keiichi Shimazu, said through a translation app that he was surprised to find Lawrence was full of greenery. He said many Americans who visit Japan think American cities aren’t as beautiful as Japanese ones, but from his experience in Lawrence, “I think it’s beautiful even when compared to all the cities in Japan.”

photo by: Courtesy of Yoshifumi Ishikawa

Keiichi Shimazu poses by the target during an ax-throwing trip.

Many of the students said they were impressed with how friendly and kind Americans were. They said it surprised them to have people they’d never met say hello to them out in public. And some were surprised by things that we might not even notice, like the direction of traffic (in Japan, they drive on the opposite side) and people wearing shoes indoors instead of changing into slippers.

The students do some things together in groups; they met Mayor Brad Finkeldei at City Hall, went to the state capitol and met Gov. Laura Kelly, even visited Lawrence High School for a lesson in American cooking – how to make grilled cheese and tomato soup.

But they also get to know their host families – and, in Yoshifumi’s case, the family pet. He shows a photo on his phone of a black dog with jowls. It’s a big dog, but still cute, he says.

He likes trains, so his host family took him to Union Station in Kansas City, and then to the Nelson-Atkins. He recognized the bronze sculpture “The Thinker” there – “The same statue is in Tokyo,” he said.

photo by: Courtesy of Yoshifumi Ishikawa

Yoshifumi Ishikawa poses like “The Thinker” in front of “The Thinker” at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art.

Lawrence recently sent its own delegation of students to Hiratsuka, and among them was Kayden Workman, who will be starting his freshman year at Lawrence High next month.

Before he could go to Japan, though, he had to learn the basics of life in another country. The kids go through about four hours a month of culture classes, said Mary Landes, one of the volunteer chaperones with Sister Cities Lawrence, where they learn basic language skills, practice things like etiquette and buying things in a store using foreign currency, and do projects on Japanese culture.

As Kayden talks about his preparation, Yoshifumi shares about his experience learning another language. “I’m not good at speaking English.” Yoshifumi says. “I’ll have to study more.”

Kayden disagrees – says Yoshifumi is way better at English than he, Kayden, is at Japanese.

“OK, I’ll teach you some Japanese,” Yoshifumi replies, and they exchange social media contacts.

photo by: Sylas May/Journal-World

Yoshifumi Ishikawa, left, and Kayden Workman give a thumbs up at a celebration on Thursday, July 30, 2026, at the Carnegie Building.

Many people involved in Sister Cities Lawrence know this feeling of learning from a friend in another country. Lizzy Warner, Sandy’s daughter, is among them. She is now an experienced chaperone after being a student in the program herself twice, in 2015 and 2016.

The Warners’ first homestay guest was a girl named Madoka. Since her visit, Madoka and Lizzy have kept in touch over the long distance and are always excited when they have the chance to meet up again.

“We talk every single year,” Lizzy said. “It’s amazing seeing her grow – her English has improved so much, and she says my Japanese has improved.”

“I told James, I said, ‘Man, I’m so glad I joined the program, because now I see it full circle,'” Sandy said when remembering that first guest. “Where we first hosted, now the girl is about to graduate college, and our kids are friends, they’re all still friends.”

photo by: Sylas May/Journal-World

Students from Hiratsuka, Japan, take a selfie in their traditional summer attire at a celebration on Thursday, July 30, 2026, at the Carnegie Building.

Before the evening concluded, the students and some of their American friends all put on traditional summertime clothes and invited everyone to dance with them. Lizzy said this dance was traditionally done in Japan for the Tanabata star festival, which celebrates two star-crossed lovers in Japanese myth, Orihime and Hikoboshi, who are separated by the Milky Way and only allowed to meet once a year.

Those at Thursday’s gathering hope for many more happy meetings than that.

“We will never forget your dedication to us. It’s the best,” Shimazu said in English to the American hosts. “Thank you very much; let’s meet again.”

photo by: Sylas May/Journal-World

Students from Hiratsuka, Japan, perform a traditional Tanabata dance at a celebration on Thursday, July 30, 2026, at the Carnegie Building.

photo by: Sylas May/Journal-World

The delegation from Hiratsuka, Japan, pose for a photo at a celebration on Thursday, July 30, 2026, at the Carnegie Building. In the second row, second from left, is chaperone Lizzy Warner.

photo by: Sylas May/Journal-World

Students from Hiratsuka, Japan, perform a dance at a celebration on Thursday, July 30, 2026, at the Carnegie Building.

photo by: Courtesy of Yoshifumi Ishikawa

Yoshifumi Ishikawa takes a selfie in a field of sunflowers.

photo by: Courtesy of Yoshifumi Ishikawa

Yoshifumi Ishikawa and his host family’s dog.