This week marks the second anniversary of the March 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami. Last July, 23 Brookline High School students, along with Lisa Francescon, a Brookline High technology specialist, and I, a Japanese teacher, traveled to the tsunami affected areas. We were part of the Japanese government-sponsored Kizuna Program to bring American students to Japan, where they learn about and then educate others about the impact of the disaster. In turn, Brookline High is hosting 24 students and two teachers from Japan on March 21-24. They will be staying with the student’s families and visiting classes at Brookline High from the 21st to the 22nd.

We will be hosting a Community Forum in the MLK Room of Brookline High on March 23, where Brookline community members can hear about the Japanese student’s experiences and share the perspectives of the BHS students who traveled to Japan. The forum will focus on the damage done during Japan’s earthquake and tsunami, as well as the reconstruction happening in the affected areas. Students from the Tohoku region of Japan will be sharing their stories, and Brookline High students who traveled to Japan last summer will be sharing their experiences visiting the affected areas. A light Japanese dinner will be served.
Thank you for your support of the Kizuna Program!

Rachel Eio
Japanese/Asian American Studies/Gender & Society Teacher
Brookline High School