These lyrics sung by British band, The Vapours, in the 1980s were classic. Kids still know them even if they've never heard the whole song!
This might be an odd title for a blog post but over the last few weeks the lyrics keep going through my head - of course, we are not turning Japanese - but we are about to welcome the first Japanese Study Tour Group to our school. Seventeen 10-15 year olds and their teacher from West Japan will spend a week with us, learning English in the mornings, joining classes in the afternoons, and staying with their excited host families at night.
What a marvellous opportunity for all of us to learn something about this unique and surprising country and its people - and maybe even make some lifelong friends in the process.
Of course, we're not 'turning Japanese' at all. It's the last thing our visitors would want - they are coming to experience our Australian culture and to improve their English, that is, they want to develop their intercultural skills and understandings. And in the process of their visit, there is much we can learn too.
Intercultural competence is an important set of skills - it's about more than enjoying the food, geography and arts of a culture. It's more about understanding how a group of people think about the world and their place in it. Our children's future will be about the ability to engage with Asia in ways beyond simply visiting its glorious beaches and amazing cities for the summer holidays. This is not about 'turning Japanese' but about becoming more understanding, developing relationships, sustaining dialogue, and ultimately, its about economic growth, prosperity and international security.
So lets open our arms in that friendly Australian way, and open our minds at the same time. Spending time with our Japanese friends will be an opportunity not to be missed.
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