Ken - Exchange Student from Hawaii

Last summer, Ken came to study at one of my schools for 2 weeks. He has done this every year for a few years now. His parents do this so that he gets some extra Japanese exposure during his school holidays in the US.

Ken is great to have around. It is a fantastic opportunity for my students to hear some real native-level English from someone with a different accent than me! Ken kindly sat down with me to answer some of my questions.

Ken spoke very fluently and naturally. I have written out as close to how he spoke so that you can get a feel for his spoken English.

I hope you find it interesting!

---

Where are you from?

Hawaii.

Were you born in Hawaii?

I was born in Japan, but I moved to Hawaii.

How old were you when you moved?

4

Are your parents from Tsubame?

No, uh, my mom is from Tsubame.

And where is your dad from?

Tokyo

Where in Japan were you born?

Tokyo

Where in Tokyo?

Uh, I forgot.

Do you have an American or Japanese passport?

I have a Japanese passport.

Could you please explain why/how you are here in Tsubame?

My mom went here, like, a long time ago. Yeah, so she said this school is very good. She connected the board of education and then we got an OK from that. Then we asked the school and then, yeah, the school gave an OK. 

How long will you be here?

2 weeks

Which island do you live on [in Hawaii]?

Oahu. That is the most populated one.  

How big is the town where you live?

Really really big. It has a lot of tall buildings. It’s called Waikiki [an area of Honolulu].

Can you surf there?

I don’t surf, I only bodyboard.

Do they have really big waves there?

Waikiki,... not really.

Do many tourists come to your area?

Yeah.

Are they mostly from the US?

Japan. A lot from Japan. A little bit from China.

Do you have brothers and sisters?

I have a sister.

Is she older?

She’s younger.

How old is she?

She’s 11. She’s in 5th grade.

Does she also do a school exchanges?

Yeah, she’s in something-or-other elementary school. 

How is her Japanese?

Yeah, really good.

Is your Japanese or English better?

I think my English is better. I speak a lot in English.

How about at home?

At home we speak Japanese.

But at school….?

English

Do your parents come with you on your school visit?

Yes.

What do your parents do?

My dad works in a tourist company, for like, uh, high schoolers. My mom does, ah, I forgot what she does, but she has a job.

Do you want to go to university?

Yep.

What do you want to study?

I want to study law.

Do you want to be a lawyer?

Yeah, a lawyer, something like that.

---

How is life in Hawaii different?

It’s a lot more noisy. More loud. More city. Here is like calm and not a lot of people so I could know a lot [of people]. In Hawaii there’s like lots and lots of people. So,....

Are there many Japanese people in your area [in Hawaii]?

Yep.

Do you have Japanese friends there [in Hawaii]?

Yeah

Do you meet/know many people of other nationalities?

I know. I don’t know any Europeans. But I know a lot of Asian people. Like South Korean, Chinese people, Filipinoes, and Hawaiians. 

What is your favourite Hawaiian holiday?

Uh, I don’t have a favourite

What is the best time of year in Hawaii?

I should say spring or fall because it’s not that much rain and it’s not that hot either.

Does it rain a lot in winter?

Yeah, a lot in winter but it’s mostly sunny.

Is it hotter there or in Japan?

Hotter here [in Japan].

[The average temperature in Hawaii is slightly higher than Japan but I think he was talking about the humidity here making it feel hotter - Chris]

Does it rain more there or in Japan?

I think when I come here it’s like the rainy season so it rains more here.

How is the food there?

Very good

What kinds of food can you get there?

In Hawaii I like Spam-musubi. It’s like rice and on top of it Spam. 

Like a big onigiri [riceball]?

Yeah, like a big onigiri.

When you are in Japan, what food do you miss?

Spam-musubi!

And when you are in Hawaii, what food do you miss?

Sushi. 

Which restaurant do you like?

Hamazushi or Uobei.

---

Is the school system the same as Japan?

Yeah, the same.

The same ages as well?

Oh, no. There’s 5 years of elementary, 3 years of middle school and 4 years of high school.

What school do you go to?

I finished middle school and I am going to high school from August.

How big is your JHS?

How many students? The middle school I was in, there was a thousand people in total. 3 grades, 300 each.

What time does school start?

8am

What time does school finish?

2:15pm

And do you go straight home?

Uh, if I don’t have like rehearsals. I’m in music, so if I don’t have rehearsals, yeah, straight home.

Oh, so you are in the music club?

Yeah.

Do you stay in your homeroom class, like in Japan? Or do you move classrooms for different subjects?

No, I move around.

What subjects do you learn?

Math, English language, Art, Science, Social studies, PE, CTE (Career & Technology Education) and then well health.

Did you learn a language?

No, not yet. In high school. I want to take Spanish.

Can you choose?

Uh yeah, I can choose.

Are there Japanese classes?

There are but I don’t think I should because I already know Japanese. 

What sports do you play in P.E.?

Football, volleyball, basketball, and then kickball uh pickleball.

About club activities, you do music. What other options are there?

There’s band, orchestra, Hawaiiana, Media and art.

And sports ones too?

Sports there’s basketball, volleyball and uh cross country.

How does school in Japan and school in Hawaii compare?

Uhm, in Japan it’s more strict, like there is stuff that is chosen and you have to follow all that. But in America, uh Hawaii school, I think is more free. You could choose what you want to do and then, yeah.

How does the level compare?

Like the math you learn here compared to the US… Japan is like way higher.

Do you get a lot of homework?

Not really. But we get a lot of big homework over long time periods.

Ah, like projects?

Projects yeah.

Is it kind of the opposite here?

Yeah, lots of small homework.

How often do you have tests?

Tests, uhm, there’s a lot. It depends what class you are in, but there is a big test at the end of every year. Like a state test and you have to take it every year like before the school ends.

What is better in Japanese schools and vice versa?

Japanese school I like the lunch. US I like, I like how it’s like outdoors. Japanese schools is like all indoors. You have to change shoes every time.

Do you have school trips?

Day trips, travel somewhere? Sometimes. Not one or two nights. Maybe if you are in band you have those.

Does your school have a song?

Haha… No.

Do students clean in your school?

Nope. 

How do you get to school?

I go,... I, in the morning my dad drives me there and then back home I walk. 

How long does it take?

1 hour.

Do you listen to music?

No, just walking. 

What do you eat for lunch in the US?

Uhm, pizza and it’s like all unhealthy because the school doesn’t get that much healthy stuff. It’s like the main dish, milk, some fruit, that’s it.

Do all students eat school lunch?

There’s a choice of getting a home lunch.

Do you eat in the cafeteria?

My school, I could eat in the cafeteria or outside. There’s a lot of benches outside so you could eat there too...

---

What did you think? Were his answers surprising? Interesting? I was surprised by how much he loves Spam musubi! You can buy similar Spam riceballs in Japan but I have never tried them. I wonder if they are as good as the ones Ken loves...

I really enjoyed talking to Ken. I hope he comes again this year. Write a comment if you think of something you would like me to ask!

Thank you for reading! Keep checking The Tsubame Traveler for more interesting interviews in the future!