Inbound Shizuoka Japan (Postponed to 2022)

Friendship Force Shizuoka Japan

Shizuoka is a town on the east coast of Japan, about 120 miles south of Tokyo. In September of 2016, a group from Friendship Force Denver spent a week as guests of the Friendship Force of Shizuoka. Nine of the ambassadors were members of the Denver Club. They included Ilene Americus, Carl and Lynn Dawson, Les Eckstat, Gerry Forney, Irene Ludwig, and Tuti Tierney. Two of the ambassadors (Rona Baer and Phyllis Scott) were from the Northern Colorado Club. The Denver group had a wonderful week of hospitality in Shizuoka, including visits to Mount Fuji, a famous pine grove, a tuna port, and several groups of traditional houses. We learned about Japanese culture and traditions such as calligraphy, ikebana, kimono, origami, and tai chi. And of course, we sampled and enjoyed delicious Japanese meals and snacks. Friendship Force is truly an exchange program, and now is the time to pay back some of the exceptional hospitality that we received three years ago in Japan. The incoming ambassadors include the people who hosted Ilene Americus and Tuti Tierney, along with the woman who hosted the two people from Northern Colorado. We are looking forward to meeting old friends and making new acquaintances. We have been chosen as the Host Coordinators, and we are currently in the process of recruiting the volunteers that will make this exchange a success. We need day hosts, home hosts, small dinner hosts, and help with planning and organizing. Please let us know if you would like to help.