Ten teenage students left Japan for their home countries earlier this week following a monthlong fact-finding tour in which they communicated with Japanese youths and among themselves in Japanese.
Speaking in Japanese was hardly an ordeal for them as they were chosen from among 120 Japanese-language students from around the world to participate in this summer's Japan Return Program.
The annual program aims to nurture foreign teens who may promote international exchanges in the language, according to Miyoko Ikezaki, chief organizer of the annual project supported by the Foreign Ministry and the Japan Foundation.