When Atsuya Hayashi considers what he’ll miss about Kansas after he returns to Japan, the words come easily. Big, wide skies. How the stars burn in a coal black sky at night. And he won’t forget the food. Tacos and hamburgers, especially.
Hayashi, a 16-year-old from Nagoya, Japan, has spent the last three weeks with Carla Nemecek and her family as an exchange student with the States’ 4-H International Exchange program. The program’s goals, explained Kansas coordinator Pam VanHorn, are for students to soak in the everyday experiences of their host families. Nothing special, clarified Jeff, Carla’s husband. “We were told to treat him as part of our family,” he said.
For Hayashi, that meant a crash course at the Allen County Fair. Nagoya is a bustling city of over 2.2 million people on the Pacific coast. And while Hayashi had been to the United States once before, about a year ago, it was to see Japanese baseball star Shohei Ohtani play in Los Angeles. Not exactly rural Kansas.
But fair time is arguably the busiest time of the year for the Nemecek family. So as Jeff and Carla’s son Kyser worked around the clock to prepare his animals for the fair, a jet-lagged Hayashi jumped in right alongside Kyser. He learned quickly, even winning a purple ribbon for a pig he showed.
“At the beginning, communication was hard,” said Kyser, a 17-year-old who begins his senior year of high school this week. “But throughout the three weeks, he’s improved so much.” And some parts of life in Kansas surprised Hayashi. The size of meal portions and gigantic sodas, for example.
Yet as much as Hayashi has learned, it’s especially clear Kyser has had an equally enriching experience. The two young men have developed an easy friendship, familiar with each other, as trusting as brothers would be. Kyser recalled with pride how Hayashi caught his first bass earlier this week, and how much fun they had at a Royals game last Friday. After the game, Kyser said, the stadium featured a “Fireworks Friday” party, with NBA legend Shaquile O’Neal as the DJ. “I was about a yard away from him,” said Kyser. “And my head was just up to his elbow.”
Hayashi nodded in agreement. “A big guy,” he added with a grin.
THIS SUMMER’S exchange program in Kansas includes 36 youth and four adult chaperones, all from Japan, living with host families across the state. States’ 4-H International Exchange Program, through partnerships in more than 40 countries and 4-H partners here, has placed more than 63,000 youth since its creation in 1972.
Any family can host a student, regardless of their familiarity with 4-H. VanHorn, who retired as an 4-H Extension agent and now volunteers as coordinator, said the program often serves as a nice introduction to 4-H. She recalled how one woman, after hosting a student, was determined to get her younger children involved. “She didn’t realize how much 4-H could benefit her kids,” said VanHorn. “I think a lot of families don’t realize all 4-H has to offer.” VanHorn can be reached at 785-826-8917 or at [email protected].
HAYASHI lives with his parents and older brother, who studies finance at a local university. Hayashi, who still has two years of high school left in Japan, also hopes to study finance one day—but back here, at an American university. His relaxed, friendly demeanor almost hides a streak of bravery as wide as the ocean he crossed. It’s no easy feat to spend three weeks in a foreign country halfway around the world at the tender age of 16. But Hayashi simply smiles, taking in as many new experiences as he can. For his final meal with the Nemeceks, he asked Carla to prepare meat, a rarity for him. And a Coke to wash it all down.
“It’s been a wonderful experience hosting Atsuya,” said Carla. “It was something new for us, and we’re very glad we did it. We really enjoyed the experience.” She ventured that Kyser, who has his eyes on studying first at a community college and then switching to a university, might meet up again with Hayashi during their time in college.
Regardless, Kyser was sure they’d meet again. When asked if Carla and Jeff would make a trip to Japan, they lingered in their response. Who knows what the future will bring? But Kyser was certain. “Oh, I’ll definitely go to Japan,” he said. “Especially now that I have a friend there.”
