University of Fukui student Naxuna Kawaguchi watches as Sidney resident and WMVR radio personality Caleb McCleskey makes a gift for his father using a Japanese Kanji character.
Courtesy photo
Sidney resident Jennifer Vega expresses surprise after successfully completing kendama following numerous failed attempts.
Courtesy photo
University of Fukui student Akihiro Imura demonstrates origami, the traditional Japanese art of paper folding, where intricate sculptures are created from a single sheet of paper without the use of scissors or glue.
Courtesy photo
University of Fukui students Mizuki Ishida, left to right, and Nazuna Kawaguchi provide guidance as Sidney resident Lori Werling practices writing her name using Japanese characters as Sidney resident Mark Jordan watches.
Courtesy photo
Adding to the international flair of Saturday’s Great Sidney Farmer’s Market, Ramzes Vega, of Sidney, watched the Japanese students demonstrate kendama. He then returned home and brought back the version played in Mexico. After several tries, University of Fukui student Mizuki Ishida expresses surprise when she finally successfully completed the game.
Courtesy photo
SIDNEY — The Great Sidney Farmer’s Market had an international flair Saturday morning. Several Japanese students attending the University of Findlay invited those attending the market to try their skills at calligraphy, origami, kendama, daruma otoshi and a fish catching game.
The students, accompanied by Dr. Hiroaki Kawamura, director of modern languages at the University of Findlay, are part of an exchange program with Japan’s University of Fukui. The academic agreement between the two universities allows for the exchanges of students, faculty and researchers between the two institutions.
The trip was coordinated by Sidney Alive Executive Director Dan Gutman, Sidney City Clerk Kari Egbert and Sidney Mayor Mike Barhorst. Barhorst first met Kawamura years ago through both their efforts to assist the Japan External Trade Organization.
For several of the students it was their last full day in America, as they began their return trip to Japan on Sunday. Those students were part of a three-week program designed to help them improve their conversational English skills. Their career plans include teaching English at the primary or secondary level in Japan. Two of the students are studying at the University of Findlay for a full year.
Barhorst joined the group to share his experiences from the trip he and former City Manager Andrew Bowsher took to Japan in 2024. That trip was designed to formally thank the parent companies of Japanese industries that are located in Shelby County. In addition to Honda, the businesses whose parent companies were visited included Advanced Composites, Hexa Americas, NKParts, Sankyo Automation and Stolle Machinery.
“A number of people who stopped by asked questions about the trip,” Barhorst said. “There were a number of others who had questions about city operations, including refuse collection, the City Hall construction project and the street levy.”
Before the students and their professor returned to Findlay, they enjoyed an all-American lunch of burgers and fries at The Spot. During lunch, Barhorst provided them with a brief history of the restaurant as well as the connections between their country and Sidney. In addition, Kawamura explained to the students his association with the city and Barhorst’s assistance with JETRO.
“The students benefited greatly from the opportunity to interact with patrons at the farmer’s market,” Barhorst said. “All six plan to become English teachers, so having the opportunity to interact with so many people was a wonderful opportunity for them.
“I had no idea when we made arrangements for the day that several of them would be returning to Japan the following day,” Barhorst continued. “When I learned that was the case, I knew that a visit to Sidney would not be complete without stopping at The Spot. They were most appreciative.”
This is a submitted article.