A fantastic way to travel and see Japan while sharing your own unique culture!

I took part in the WCI Japan summer program for one session a couple of years ago, and it was my second time in Japan.

The program offers some of the best opportunities to really get out and learn about Japanese traditions and day to day lives through living and bonding with your families, and the daily excursions around.

The families are all soooo excited to have you stay with them that any apprehension you feel before you start evaporates almost immediately. They often bring you to meet their family and friends in the community and are so kind its really a touching experience. Even though you normally only stay with any one particular family for about a week, by the end of your stay you'll realize what kind of attachment you've had with them, its really an amazing feeling.

WCI also provides the chance to go on various excursions to historical sites, cultural exhibitions and also visit some modern facilities in the region you're staying at. The great thing about these day trips is you never really feel like your on some normal tour, as there are activities and knowledge exchanges going on between your group and the hosts all the time.

You also get some downtime to freely explore on your own, although by the end of those 4-5 days you are usually ready to get back into the WCI swing of things! The arigatou event (Thank-you event) that you put on at the end of each stay for the host families and community was the first time I'd ever been involved in some kind of 'production', and it was really a great time for both the families and everyone in WCI putting it on.

All in all it was a great experience, if you are looking for a chance to really visit and experience Japan this is probably as close as you can get without living there, and I guarantee you'll never be wondering what to do next thanks to this fantastic program! Highly recommended!!!