Day two of the field study:

In addition to learning about the issues associated with Isahaya Bay, we also enjoyed Isahaya hospitality. To be specific, we were treated to two meals at Nagasaki Wesleyan University (NWU), hosted by Professor Joseph Romero (below) and his students.

The sign at the NWU Peace Chapel

Lunch followed a short tour of the NWU campus. NWU was founded more than 100 years ago in Nagasaki City. It was destroyed by the atomic bomb and relocated to Isahaya. It is a small campus on a hill, with a student enrollment of around 500. They call themselves a small university with a big heart.

The NWU students were incredible. They were all dressed as if for job interviews, making me think they were young staff when we first stepped off the bus. We ate bentos with them in a classroom that had been turned into a trendy cafe, down to the checkered tablecloths.

The NWU students had such positive energy and a genuine excitement to see us, making us feel incredible welcome. Many of the NUS students had previous experience interacting with Japanese students, either in Japan or at NUS. Their past encounters had all been with students reticent to share anything about themselves or to ask questions. However, on this day we were all overwhelmed by how outgoing the NWU students were. They got our NUS students to open up, creating the perfect example of why intercultural exchange is so critical.

Leaving NWU after lunch, on our way to Isahaya City Hall.

After lunch we had our city hall lecture and toured the reclamation project. Then, in the evening, we returned to NWU for dinner. We were welcomed by a tunnel of students at the entrance. I haven’t had this experience since my last day teaching English in Kumamoto 13 years ago.

At night there were twice as many students as at noon, all in the same room as lunch. There were candles on the tables and music playing. It all created quite a mood. It reminded me of a host bar, with all of the young NWU men chatting with the NUS students (9 women and only one man). It was all innocent fun, though, and once again we got a terrific lesson on the benefits of international exchange.

Thank you to everyone at Nagasaki Wesleyan University!