EPIC Students Visit Punahou and St. Louis

EPIC students arrive at the Honolulu International Airport

From September 28 – October 3, 2018, eight students from various Ehime high schools traveled to Hawaii to participate in a cultural exchange hosted by the Ehime Prefectural International Center (EPIC), which promotes cultural understanding and international cooperation through various programs and exchanges. Director General Mr. Hitoshi Takaoka and Manager Ms. Noriko Omori from EPIC along with Mr. Masanao Nakamura from the Ehime Board of Education accompanied the students as they visited various sights on Oahu, such as the Ehime Maru Memorial, Honolulu Hale, and Consulate General of Japan in Honolulu. The group also enjoyed bike riding in the Honolulu Century Ride on Sunday, September 30, 2018.

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EPIC student participants give presentations to Punahou and St. Louis students

The Ehime high schoolers also participated in a two-day homestay program with students from Punahou and St. Louis Schools. They later visited these schools and gave presentations to Japanese language students about their hometowns and school activities.

Shimanami Kaido Bikeway in Japan

On October 28, EPIC and JASH representatives will continue the exchange program by participating in Japan’s equivalent to the Honolulu Century Ride, Cycling Shimanami 2018. Together, they will cycle through the Shimanami Kaido Bikeway, a 70-kilometer expressway bridging the six islands between Onomichi in Hiroshima Prefecture and Imabari in Ehime Prefecture. The course is known for its spectacular sights of the Seto Inland Sea and the warm hospitality of island locals.