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This is the Alter-Benson family.
Plus Kosuke Tokunaga.
At least for three weeks.
Tokunaga, a 13-year old exchange student from Kakogawa, Japan, is participating in the global education program through Jackson County 4-H. That means he’ll be staying with the Blue Springs family so he can take in the local culture.
That Tokunaga is staying with the Alter family is kind of a milestone for Ann Alter, whose family has been hosting exchange students for the past 40 years.
“(During those years) my family has hosted students from Korea, the Middle East, and Germany,” Ann said. “It’s become a tradition.”
In the past, students have typically stayed longer with the Alter family. For instance, a German student stayed with them for an entire school year in 1996.
Tokunaga was born and raised in Kakogawa, located in the Hyogo Prefecture, in Western Honshu, near the Nara-Kyoto capitals. And it’s certainly not small: the land area of Hyogo is 8,380 square miles, or approximately 2.2 percent of the total land area of Japan. Population is about 5.4 million and is comprised of five districts, all of which are distinct from each other.
There are more differences, too. While Hyogo is vast, practically dwarfing Jackson County, the area lacks an agricultural component that some – maybe many – people may consider important in becoming a well-rounded individual. Part of what the Alter family plans to do is expose Tokunaga to areas within Jackson County that are primarily rural.
“We plan to visit our family farm,” Ann said. “There’s an entire world he doesn’t see often.”
Like corn, wheat and soybean fields.
Will that impress Tokunaga, who lives in a place that can boast of having the world’s longest suspension bridge – the Akashi Kaikyo Ohashi, spanning 1,991 meters?
Tokunaga considers the question, but he is quiet. He has about a sixth grade level English ability. But his host family plans to teach him additional English; they hope to pick up some Japanese.
Other plans are in the works for Tokunaga, who would like to visit malls, Worlds of Fun, the Country Club Plaza, the First Friday Art show in downtown Kansas City and various stops throughout Blue Springs.
Does he know David Cook, the Blue Springs native who recenlty won American Idol? Ann was once Cook’s substitute teacher.
Again...a pleasant stare, a shake of his head.
What’s his impression of the area so far? That may be an unfair question, since upon arrival Tokunaga has only visited Columbia and the Independence Center. Surely the Japanese have malls?
He nods his head.
While Ann has hosted students before, this is her son’s first experience with an exchange student. Of the same age, Nickolaus Dungy, whose father passed away and is an only child, said he’s excited about the upcoming three weeks.
“It’ll be like having a brother,” Nickolaus said, adding that he plans to travel to Japan as an exchange student in the future.
This is the Alter-Benson family.
Plus Kosuke Tokunaga.
At least for three weeks.
Tokunaga, a 13-year old exchange student from Kakogawa, Japan, is participating in the global education program through Jackson County 4-H. That means he’ll be staying with the Blue Springs family so he can take in the local culture.
That Tokunaga is staying with the Alter family is kind of a milestone for Ann Alter, whose family has been hosting exchange students for the past 40 years.
“(During those years) my family has hosted students from Korea, the Middle East, and Germany,” Ann said. “It’s become a tradition.”
In the past, students have typically stayed longer with the Alter family. For instance, a German student stayed with them for an entire school year in 1996.
Tokunaga was born and raised in Kakogawa, located in the Hyogo Prefecture, in Western Honshu, near the Nara-Kyoto capitals. And it’s certainly not small: the land area of Hyogo is 8,380 square miles, or approximately 2.2 percent of the total land area of Japan. Population is about 5.4 million and is comprised of five districts, all of which are distinct from each other.
There are more differences, too. While Hyogo is vast, practically dwarfing Jackson County, the area lacks an agricultural component that some – maybe many – people may consider important in becoming a well-rounded individual. Part of what the Alter family plans to do is expose Tokunaga to areas within Jackson County that are primarily rural.
“We plan to visit our family farm,” Ann said. “There’s an entire world he doesn’t see often.”
Like corn, wheat and soybean fields.
Will that impress Tokunaga, who lives in a place that can boast of having the world’s longest suspension bridge – the Akashi Kaikyo Ohashi, spanning 1,991 meters?
Tokunaga considers the question, but he is quiet. He has about a sixth grade level English ability. But his host family plans to teach him additional English; they hope to pick up some Japanese.
Other plans are in the works for Tokunaga, who would like to visit malls, Worlds of Fun, the Country Club Plaza, the First Friday Art show in downtown Kansas City and various stops throughout Blue Springs.
Does he know David Cook, the Blue Springs native who recenlty won American Idol? Ann was once Cook’s substitute teacher.
Again...a pleasant stare, a shake of his head.
What’s his impression of the area so far? That may be an unfair question, since upon arrival Tokunaga has only visited Columbia and the Independence Center. Surely the Japanese have malls?
He nods his head.
While Ann has hosted students before, this is her son’s first experience with an exchange student. Of the same age, Nickolaus Dungy, whose father passed away and is an only child, said he’s excited about the upcoming three weeks.
“It’ll be like having a brother,” Nickolaus said, adding that he plans to travel to Japan as an exchange student in the future.
