International
Exchange
[Main business introduction]
Active on the world stage
Developing a global workforce
CIR
Coordinator forInternational Relations (CIR)*
Under the motto 'From Shichigahama to the World', the Shichigahama Kokusaimura has developed events to introduce foreign cultures and information, such as exchanges with its sister city Plymouth and International Days. The CIRs (Coordinator for International Relations) are indispensable in the management of these events.
The town of Shichigahama has been inviting CIRs and ALTs since 1994, and CIRs requiring particularly high Japanese language skills are assigned to the International Village, where they are responsible for cross-cultural understanding and international exchange programmes. 18 CIRs came from the USA between 1994 and 2023, They were active in the Kokusaimura.
CIR
CIRs are young people invited to Japan under the JET Programme (Japan Exchange and Teaching Programme), which is a national system, with the aim of enhancing foreign language education and promoting international exchange at the local level. The Japan Exchange and Teaching Programme (The Japan Exchange and Teaching Programme / a project by local authorities to invite foreign youths). They are assigned to departments in charge of international exchange at local authorities and engage in international exchange activities.
More than 90% of JET Programme participants are Assistant Language Teachers (ALTs). Over 90% of JET Programme participants are ALTs.
Shichigahama Town Global Human Resource Development Programme
In 2016, the town's major initiative, the Shichigahama Town Global Human Resource Development Programme, was launched to develop human resources who can work on the world stage.
In collaboration with CIRs, the Kokusaimura offers a wide variety of programmes, including outreach programmes in which CIRs visit nursery schools and schools in the town to interact with children, and projects that expose them to different cultures through dance and cooking.
[Example programme]
English Playtime / English Camp / WorldCooking / English Book Club / International Space / Stretching in English / Dancing in English / Sotsukkotsu CIR visit etc.
Exchange and youth study abroad with sister city Plymouth Town
Promoting exchange with the sister city of Plymouth is one of the International Village's key missions, with the Youth Abroad Programme at the heart of this.
Every other year, elementary, junior high and high school students from the town are sent to Plymouth Town to experience a homestay there. The following year, elementary, junior high and high school students from Plymouth Town visit Shichigahama Town and spend time with local families. This mutual exchange of elementary, junior high and high school students began in August 1990, and to date more than 300 elementary, junior high and high school students and educators from Shichigahama and Plymouth have visited each other's towns.
The year 2020 marks the 400th anniversary of the Mayflower's arrival in Plymouth Town, and the 'Plymouth 400th Anniversary Celebrations' were scheduled to take place with great fanfare. However, due to the Corona disaster, the celebrations were cancelled and visits from the town of Shichigahama were not possible. Therefore, the 'Plymouth Online Training' was organised to interact with the people of Plymouth Town online.
The bonds of friendship are growing stronger 33 years after the signing of the sister city agreement in October 1990, with International Days in 2023 to be held on the theme of Plymouth Town.