10/09/2026
This year, Kodomo Gakushu Kyoshitsu once again held special online exchange classes with children from HOPPA Preschool in Japan!
On September 15, our students in Hawaii connected online with children from HOPPA’s Setagaya campus, followed by another exchange on October 1 with students from the Kyoto Karasuma campus.
Connecting Hawaii and Japan Through Fun Activities
During the online exchange classes, the children used both English and Japanese to talk with one another and enjoy games together.
It was a valuable opportunity for our students to communicate with friends in Japan on the other side of the screen. They were able to use the Japanese they have been learning in class in real conversations, while also expressing their thoughts and feelings in English.
Language learning is about more than studying in a classroom. By actually talking with others, listening to what they say, and trying to communicate in their own words, the children were able to experience the joy of connecting through language.
Maybe One Day We Can All Meet in Japan!
Through this exchange, we hope the children were able to feel a little closer to their new friends in Japan.
Talking online is a lot of fun, but wouldn’t it be wonderful if one day we could all travel to Japan and meet the friends we have only seen through the screen?
“Let’s meet in Japan next time!”
We hope that dream can become a reality someday.
Learning a Language Means Connecting with People
At Kodomo Gakushu Kyoshitsu, we value not only learning kanji and Japanese language arts, but also giving children opportunities to actually use the Japanese they have learned to connect with others.
Using both Japanese and English to learn about one another and share an enjoyable experience can help children become more curious about language and more interested in different cultures.
A big thank you to all of our friends and teachers at HOPPA Setagaya and HOPPA Kyoto Karasuma for such a fun and memorable exchange!
We are already looking forward to the next time we can talk together.
At Kodomo Gakushu Kyoshitsu, we will continue creating opportunities for children to experience both the joy of learning Japanese and the happiness of connecting with people through language.