MUSCATINE, Iowa —  Wider streets and unfamiliar merchandise greeted a group of young Japanese students who visited downtown Muscatine Monday morning.

The students, residents of Ichikawamisato, Japan, are here for a nine-day visit as part of a West Middle School  exchange program with Muscatine’s Japanese Sister City.

David Mathis, 14, a freshman at Muscatine High School, said he and his mother, Nancy Mathis, were on hand to greet the 14 students and their five adult chaperones when they arrived at Chicago’s O’Hare International  Airport Sunday. Mathis and many of his classmates accompanied the Japanese students on the downtown tour, which included a trolley ride, and a tour of West Middle School, where the students exchanged school gifts and heard speeches from representatives of one another’s schools.

Linda Kelty, the art teacher at West Middle School, led the students in a craft project and the group participated in a snack-making activity with West Middle School family consumer science teacher Brandy Harris.

Nancy Mathis said the visits are part of an ongoing exchange program coordinated through West Middle School. Although the exchange is conducted with  Muscatine’s Japanese Sister City,  a relationship established through Muscatine’s Sister Cities Association, the Association does not conduct the school exchange program.

Last year, David Mathis said he and some of his fellow students visited Japan and next year, West Middle School will send more students to Yichikawamisato.

The Japanese students said there are major differences between their shopping areas and downtown Muscatine.

Kei Shiojma, 14, said Muscatine’s roads are much wider than Japan’s. Yuhi Kobayashi, a teacher from Japan who accompanied the students, pointed out that people don’t need to park their cars on the side of the road in his city because there are so many parking ramps.

Uran Watana, 13, said she didn’t see the same kind of merchandise displayed in the downtown Muscatine store, Second Thoughts, as she did in Ichikawamisato.

Second Thoughts features an array of colorful, novelty items with humorous references to contemporary entertaining.

Riri Yoda, 13, returned from her shopping trip with two stuffed toys to take home for her 3-year-old niece. She said the stuffed toys in Muscatine are different than the ones she sees in Japan.

Morgan Harris, 12, enjoyed seeing Japanese students’ experience new things.

“It’s fun to go with them to places I’ve been before but that they have no clue about,” said Harris, a Central Middle School seventh-grader.

“It’s fun to watch their reactions,” said Central Middle School seventh-grader Alexandra Limon, who plans to visit Japan next year. Limon said she will stay with the family of Saki Ichinose, 12, who is visiting Muscatine this week.

University of Iowa student Daiki Ichinose, 18, a native of Japan, also accompanied the group. Ichinose, who is staying with Scott and Laurie Burk of Muscatine while he is on summer break from college, was helping interpret for the younger students.

Today, Kobayashi said the group plans to visit the Rock Island Army Corps of Engineers  Lock and Dam 16 on the Illinois side of Muscatine and Pearl City Station on the Muscatine Riverfront in the morning and early afternoon.

From there, they will travel to Discovery Park and the Environmental Learning Center.

The day will end with a splash at Muscatine’s Aquatic Center before the visitors and their host families return home for dinner.

The Pine Creek Grist Mill at Wild Cat Den State Park, a tour of the Quad Cities and a day of touring farms in the Muscatine area are also on this week’s agenda.

Kobayashi, who is staying with Gene and Vicki Boss of Muscatine, said he and the students will spend the weekend with their host families.

Reporter contact information

Cynthia Beaudette 563-262-0527

cynthia.beaudette@muscatine