The SHS x HIS Domestic Global Exchange

Hokkaido International School is an international boarding school with campuses in Sapporo and Niseko but with an international mind. In 2021 the Domestic Global Exchange was born at the hands of the graduating Class of 2021 Student Body President Masayori Sudo Hasegawa. Masa, currently the Huskies Legacy Association President, established a relationship with the city of Makinohara during his time spent their during a surfing intensive camp and internship as a part of international exchange between the city of Makinohara and the United States Olympic Surfing Team, which made Makinohara its home during 2020 and 2021 in preparation for the delayed 2020 Summer Olympics. This experience paved the way for what has now become the SHS x HIS Domestic Global Exchange. 

The goal of the SHS x HIS Domestic Global Exchange is to connect the cultures and student populations of the Japanese local Sagara High School in Makinohara, Shizuoka with Hokkaido International School in Sapporo. These two schools have begun a tradition they hope to continue, including yearly in-person visits along with online exchange where they spend time getting to know each other at a personal, school, and prefectural-level. 

Please enjoy our in-person exchanges through the photos, videos, and posts below. And don't forget to check out our 2023 video featuring our visit to Makinohara, Shizuoka, Japan, where we met the Sagara High School students at their cultural festival, danced with the Shizuoka University "soran" dance team, surfed in the only surf stadium in Japan, and enjoyed some "fukamushi" green tea.