The five Lismore students and their chaperone who are taking part in the Lismore City Council’s Yamato Takada Sister City Student Exchange Program left for Japan yesterday.

The students, who range in age from 14 to 16 years, come from the Living School, Trinity, and Richmond River High.

The initiative, which strengthens the ties between Lismore and Yamato Takada, offers an unparalleled cultural and educational opportunity for local youth, with the students embarking on a busy schedule of events.

During their 12-day exchange, the students will stay with host families allowing them to immerse themselves in the local culture.

Mayor Krieg said he was excited for the students and their once-in-a-lifetime experience.

“Our Sister City's relationship with Yamato Takada is more than 60 years old,” he said.

"I look forward to hearing from our local students on their return from the beautiful city of Yamato Takada, which has facilitated the exchange of not just students but also ideas, culture and goodwill over the years.”

Sixteen-year-old Jemma Parks from Trinity Catholic College said travelling and experiencing another culture is her driving force behind her applying to take part in the Japanese Student Exchange Program.

“I have a desire to travel and experience new cultures, meet people and engage in unique experiences I cannot do here at home,” she said.

“I have been to New Zealand and Vanuatu, but never north of the equator, so I am excited and cannot wait to see Japan’s natural environment and architecture and how it differs from ours.”

Kenta Nakada Wiseman, 14, from Richmond River High, who has family in Japan, said he was taking part in the program to enhance his Japanese language skills.

“The 2022 floods essentially forced me to live with my family in Japan for 15 months as there were no available homes for me in Lismore,” he said.

“Since returning to Australia, I have noticed my Japanese language skills are not as sharp, so I look forward to speaking Japanese a lot better again.

Also, when I lived in Japan for 15 months after the floods, I attended several schools, so I look forward to visiting other Japanese schools compared to the ones I attended when living in Japan and the schools here.”  

Lismore City Council established a Sister City relationship with Yamato Takada on 7 August 1963 through the efforts of Father Tony Glynn. 

Father Glynn, who had been working in Yamato Takada, collaborated with businesses in his hometown of Lismore to raise funds to construct a kindergarten in Yamato Takada. Through this collaboration, the Sister City relationship developed.