UPDATE: Due to coronavirus concerns, we will not be sending our Student Ambassadors to Kurashiki in 2022.
Congratulations to Aidan Joyce and Nigel Barrett, who were selected to be the 2020 Student Ambassadors to Kurashiki! Unfortunately, Aiden and Nigel were not able to go to Kurashiki because the Student Ambassador program was canceled for 2020-2022 due to the COVID pandemic. We hope to restart our program next year.
Watch for more information January 2023 about applications for the summer 2023 Student Ambassador program.
About Our Program
Since 1974, the Heart of America Japan-America Society and the city of Kansas City, Missouri have engaged in a Sister City Program with the beautiful city of Kurashiki, Japan. Since 1981, our members have helped sponsor almost 80 American high school and first-year college students in a summer home-stay program in Kurashiki. These “Student Ambassadors” have studied the Japanese language and are well qualified to represent the Japan-America Society.
Thank you to our 2019 Student Ambassadors who represented the Greater Kansas City area in Kurashiki, Japan -- Kansas City, Missouri's sister city! Pictured from left to right: Julie Turner, Riki Shu, Ken Drakey, and Gavin Knapton.
Want to learn about our 2019 Student Ambassadors' experiences in Kurashiki? You can get a feel for their time by reading their essays:
Julie Turner Riki Shu
Ken Drakey Gavin Knapton
Please note: If you're interested in applying to this program for next summer, please return to this page after January 1, 2021. Thanks!I
f you have questions about the program in the meantime, please contact the Student Ambassador Committee.
