There are a lot of people who would like to get out and see Japan, but often it seems the cost outweigh the experience. Now U.S. citizens can avoid this dilemma, thanks to a wide-ranging exchange program based on one of the first Japan-American cultural exchange projects. It dates back to 1841 when Nakahama Manjiro's fishing boat was lost at sea. The illiterate 14-year-old boy was rescued by a whaling ship captain, William Whitfield, who was impressed by the boy's curiosity and eagerness to learn. During the 10 years he lived in the U.S. where he absorbed the ways of a different world and experienced the opportunities available even to an uneducated Japanese visitor under a democratic form of government. He returned to Japan hoping to share his new values with the shogunate, perhaps the first cultural exchange effort with the West.

Manjiro suffered the same fate as others who had managed to return home after a period of foreign "contamination." He was isolated with no way to tell others of his experiences. But times change, and when Admiral Perry arrived with his black ships, determined to establish a port in Japan and to open the nation's doors to the world, Manjiro's linguistic skills and knowledge of America became essential. Some felt that the favorable reports he gave of American generosity and that it was a country that could be trusted encouraged Japanese leaders to open their country to its first foreign contacts in almost 300 years.

After World War II, the two names were linked again in the Manjiro-Whitfield Commemorative Center for International Exchange. One of the programs is a Grass-roots Summit, a program for couples, families and individuals from both countries to exchange visits. Costs are kept low, home stays are featured and special attractions of a selected area are explored. This year Americans will be visiting Shizuoka. Seventeen itineraries are offered, each centered on some specific topic and including local history, cultural events, festivals, local foods -- the list is long and the experience deep.

As in other years, people from the U.S. living in Japan are invited to join the four-day program. Children are especially welcome. Here is an unusual opportunity to learn more of Japan and its people, with the Japanese side eager to return the hospitality they enjoyed last year in Atlanta. The cost of this experience in international living is 35,000 yen which includes two nights in hotels, two nights with homestays, transportation to the various locations and some meals during the program. It does not, however, cover transportation to and from Shizuoka. Those interested in participating can phone (03) 3470-3518, fax (03) 3470-4481, e-mail them at [email protected] or check the society's home page at www1.sphere.ne.jp/cie for more information.

While this program is limited to U.S. nationals, other countries have friendship societies and exchange programs open to their citizens. Check with your own embassy.

Here are some events that may be of interest to Tokyo readers. Japan has an especially deep sympathy for Turkey and the victims of its recent earthquake. The relationship between the two countries has always been strong, and here in Japan, too, we live under a constant threat of earthquakes. Norihiko Ito, a painter who has specialized in paintings of Turkey, had just returned from an exhibition when the earthquake struck. He immediately made a decision to hold a charity exhibition of his works on Turkey over the past 10 years and contribute the funds raised to the Turkish Embassy here in Tokyo. The exhibition will be held from Oct. 9-14 at the Ginza Shorou Gallery in Ginza, phone (03) 3572-4460 for directions or a map.

On Oct. 7, tomorrow, the Women's Society of the Tokyo Union Church will feature a talk by Mari Christine, a well-known TV personality and an active member of the Asian Women's and Children's Network, a major proponent of the new law against child prostitution and pornography. The program is free and all are invited to attend. A lunch (1,000 yen) will be served after the program. To make reservations, phone (03) 3400-0942 by 2 p.m. today.