For 35 years, the Town of Smyrna has supported the Sister City Program, a student exchange program with Zama, Japan. This program operates on a three-year cycle, during which students from Zama, Japan visit Smyrna, Tennessee for two weeks during the summer and then the following year, students from Smyrna travel to Zama accompanied by six members of the Sister City Committee acting as chaperones. All participants are hosted by the families they formed connections with during the previous year’s visit.
Fran Dunne, who serves on the Sister City Committee and is the Executive Director, Senior Activity Center of Smyrna, has been on the trip many times as a chaperone. She keeps returning because of the strong friendships she has made.
“My biggest reason for wanting to go back is my family in Zama,” explained Dunne. “My son went to Zama in 2012 as a student in the program and stayed with our family then. I was able to go to Zama for the first time in 2015 and stayed with the same family that my son stayed with. We had already formed a long-distance friendship via Facebook and Skype, so I felt like I knew them well. In 2018, I returned to Zama and stayed with them for the second time. In September, 2019, our family came to Smyrna to visit us. I was fortunate to be able to stay with them for the third time this past July. The connection that we have with them is close and very special.”
Morgan Surratt was one of 15 students who went to Zama recently. It was a life-changing event for her and her fellow youth representatives of the Town of Smyrna.
“The trip was an amazing experience,” said Surratt. “There were a lot of fun things we got to do there. We got to experience Japanese culture, like writing in Japanese calligraphy, doing flower arrangements, and dressing in kimonos. Then there was the staying with the host families when we were over there. Everything over there is so different, like they drive on the left side of the street! That took some getting used to.”
During their stay in Japan, the group also visited notable locations, including the City of Tokyo, where they viewed the Tokyo Skytree. Since Zama is their sister city, they spent extensive time there learning about the city. They toured CAMP Zama U.S. Army base, visited the Nissan car museum, toured the government building where they met with various officials from the Zama city government, as well as spent two days attending classes alongside their Japanese student counterparts. Zama is about 45 minutes southwest of Tokyo.
“The objective of these trips is to immerse our students in Japanese culture, music, and art, thereby cultivating an appreciation for diverse global perspectives and promoting goodwill,” explained Heather Kent, Public Information Officer, Town of Smyrna.
Dunne visited Kyoto, Japan for the first time with the group this year. Kyoto was once the capital of Japan. It is famous for its many Buddhist temples, as well as gardens, palaces, shrines and traditional wooden houses. During the spring, the cherry blossoms are in full bloom. By summer, the cherry blossoms are replaced by beautiful crepe myrtle trees in bloom everywhere.
“[In Kyoto] I visited … Kinkaku-ji Temple that was surrounded by beautiful Japanese gardens,” said Dunne.
Every time the group goes to Japan, they spend a day in Tokyo. The highlight of this visit is Nakamise Street, a pedestrian-only street with nearly one hundred shops selling traditional crafts, snacks and souvenirs. At the end of the street is the entrance to Tokyo’s oldest temple, Senso-ji.
This year they also traveled to Kamakura where they experienced picturesque Japanese island beaches.
“It’s just so different compared to here,” exclaimed Surratt. “The streets are clean, but there are no trash cans on the streets. It is so peaceful. Walking in [Zama] at night is relaxing.”
A small town, it is about twice the size of Smyrna, but not as big as Murfreesboro. Yet it feels much smaller, with the pace of a much smaller town.
“The food was just so different,” said Surratt. “Like for breakfast, instead of regular pancakes, steak and eggs, every morning I had a cup of Miso soup, rice, vegetables and some type of meat. It was really nice. And the portion size is much smaller.”
What Surratt really enjoyed was going to the famous conveyor belt sushi restaurant, known as kaitenzushi. Popular and affordable, here the plates of sushi move along a conveyor belt winding through the restaurant for customers to either take plates directly from the belt or order custom items via a touchscreen. Besides sushi, many of these restaurants also offer foods like miso soup, fried items, and desserts.
“There are no waiters,” explained Surratt. “At your table there is a little iPad where you put in your order, and then in a minute or two your order comes to your table on the conveyor belt. It was so fun!”
In 1991, Smyrna entered into a Sister City agreement with Zama City, Japan. The relationship initially focused on municipal leadership but quickly expanded to include student exchanges in the late 1990s. The Smyrna Sister City Committee was also founded in 1991 and coordinates this initiative.
“The relationships grow stronger with each visit, whether Zama is coming to Smyrna or Smyrna goes to Zama,” explained Dunne. “There’s a lot of love between the students and adults who have traveled back and forth. All participants have gained a rich cultural experience through the things they see, the foods they eat, and traditions shared between both cities.”
For more information about The Town of Smyrna Sister City Program, please visit, https://www.townofsmyrna.org/live/sister_city_program.php or https://www.facebook.com/smyrnatnsistercity.
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