The Home-Stay Program was hosted by MCBJ volunteer families for twenty-five students and five chaperones from Oshima District, Kesennuma City, Miyagi Prefecture, which was heavily damaged in the March 11 Great East Japan Earthquake and subsequent tsunami.

The program was created to provide temporary relief from a stressful environment and build a mutual trust and partnership between the U.S. and Japan, according to officials with MCBJ.

The participating students ranged from 5th to 8th grade and were selected based on an essay contest sponsored by the Disaster Response Center in the Oshima District. During a pool party held as a part of the exchange, Maj. Gen. Peter J. Talleri, commanding general of Marine Corps Base Camp Butler, and deputy commander of Marine Corps Bases Japan, expressed his thanks to the students, chaperones and host families for their participation in the program.

“There were numerous families who volunteered because they wanted to makes the families a part of their own and I wish you could hear the laughter and joy I have witnessed from them the past few days. As a commander this is as good as it gets,” said Talleri. “We’ve already had Operation Tomadachi; we are going to call this Cooperation Tomodachi.”

The students and chaperones wanted to experience the Okinawan culture as well as American culture, and the hosts did their best to provide both.

“We took the students to the movies and the aquarium, and we alternated between American and Okinawan restaurants to give them a variety of experiences here,” said Keiko Singenhouse, a host for two boys from Oshima.

Some of the chaperones expressed concern about visiting the base because of the language barrier, but it proved not to be a problem.

“I was anxious because I didn’t know how hard the language would be for my daughter, but our hosts were so warm and welcoming that we learned to communicate despite the language barrier,” said Kimmiko Sugawara, a chaperone from Oshima.

Thanks to the Home-Stay Program and the Marine Corps, the children were afforded a chance to relax and not worry about the problems facing them and their parents at home, said Hironobu Sugawara, the head of the delegation for the program.

“We suffered a great loss that day, we lost 31 people and some are still missing. We received a lot of support from Japan, Okinawa, the self-defense forces, but most of all from the Marine Corps. I would like to express my deep gratitude for everything you have given us both back in Oshima and here with the Home-Stay Program,” said Sugawara.