Children from New Beginning pre-school took time out of their busy schedules of sleeping and playing to learn about our sister city Shiraoi and Japanese culture.
Donna Legere, the manager of New Beginnings, said the preschool brings their students to Shiraoi every year.
"To expose them to different cultures and language is important," she said.
Eighteen 4-5 year-old children made the trip to the Shiraoi House to try on yukata-style kimono; get their names written in katakana, a Japanese alphabet; learn to create an origami cat and flower; check out the toys their eastern counterparts play with; and learn how to sing ‘Head and Shoulders Knees and Toes’ in Japanese.