August 21, 2025 by Jen Ransom

Seward’s recent sunny weather was enjoyed not just by residents and tourists, but also by a group of special young people invited to our community to continue fostering decades of international friendship.

Students from Obihiro, Japan, and the community of Seward visited together this summer to share culture, understanding, and goodwill as part of the sister city program, which originally started in 1968. The student exchange aspect of this sisterhood is in its 49th year, and this year, four Japanese teenagers, Kira Nakamura, Sawa Mizuki, Yuri Kaiya, and Tomoshi Masunaka, have enjoyed many of the sights and experiences Seward has to offer.

Set against the backdrop of Exit Glacier, these teens recently spoke about some of the experiences they have had this August.

“I enjoyed the cruise the most. I liked to see sea lions and whales. This is my first time and a nice experience, because in Obihiro there is no sea. We have mountains, but different types of animals,” said Kaiya, who is 16 years old.

Nakamura, 16, also enjoyed the wildlife cruise. “I could see so many animals!” 

This was not his first time to visit the United States – Nakamura once visited San Francisco, California – but found the Alaska ocean to be wildly different. “I enjoyed all the islands and the glaciers.”

Mizuki, 16, enjoyed the cruise as well, but her favorite aspect of the exchange was closer to home: She really enjoyed the time spent with her host families. “Here the population is so small; [everyone] knows each other.”

In Obihiro, Mizuki enjoys some of the same activities as many Seward teens. When not studying, Mizuki likes playing video games, eating and conversing with her family, and watching movies. She laughed when she heard that some of her Alaskan peers enjoy these same indoor activities.

“If I lived here, because of the outdoors here, I would go do outside activities every day!” she exclaimed. “I am jealous that they get to do outdoor activities. I would not be stuck inside.”

 Obihiro, a city located on Hokkaido, the northernmost island of Japan, has a population of around 163,000 people. Local teens Alta Liljemark, Logan Johnson, Jaelyn Crites, and Alex Fink are traveling to the city in August. Hosts turned visitors, the Alaska teens will be introduced to Japanese culture in a larger city, different from their hometown, but with some universal similarities.

“People are kind,” said Kaiya when asked about the similarities between the cities.

But, Nakamura added, “Japanese people are more reserved.” 

Masunaka, age 15, is looking forward to the Japanese tea ceremony, a spiritual and cultural Japanese ritual with origins dating back several centuries. Having never experienced it himself, it is something new that he thinks all of the teenagers will enjoy. “It is new for me, [too].”

Kaiya is most excited to introduce her visitors to some of the food culture of Japan. She says it is very different from what she has eaten here, and that she can’t wait to share her favorite dish: Butadon. A single-dish bowl of pork and rice, Kaiya laughed when asked if she knew how to make the dish herself. “I can put the sauce on,” she chuckled.

Seward teens could relate: “I am really looking forward to the new food experiences,” Johnson said.

The Japanese visitor’s chaperone is Christopher Andrade, who works in Obihiro to set up the schedule and visits for the yearly international exchange. He served as an interpreter during the interview, though the students were able to answer most of the questions in English.  Exchange host Julie Crites is traveling to Japan this year as the Seward chaperone.

High school students interested in learning more about this cultural exchange opportunity can find out more information on the City of Seward website.