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Friday, Sept. 25, 2026
‘I wouldn’t change the experience for anything’
A Homestay Program spotlight with Makenna Sumner – Part 2
By Casper Wehrhahn
Photo info: Makenna Sumner (right) and her host sister (left) at a summer festival in Japan, in July of 2026. They are wearing traditional clothing known as Yukatas. While at the festival, they got balloons filled with water that are used in a game called yo-yo tsuri.
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Last week, Makenna Sumner introduced readers to the York-Benimaru 4-H Manitoba Homestay Program, and the joy and fulfillment she gained as a host family participant.
This week, the story shifts to the Far East.
As a member of the Neepawa Belles, Beaux, and Builders 4-H Club, Sumner had the unique opportunity to travel to Japan as an exchange student this summer.
“From hosting, I gained a general understanding of the history of the program, but it was not until I experienced this rare travel opportunity that I fully understood how significant and meaningful it is,” said Sumner.
Sumner was one of 10 delegates, accompanied by two chaperones, to stay in Japan for two weeks (July 4 to 20). While there, the group had a “perfectly planned itinerary” which gave them a mixture of modern Japan experiences, traditional culture, education, agriculture, and everyday life with a host family.
The first few days were spent in Tokyo Prefecture. This included seeing major attractions such as the Tokyo Skytree, Sensoji Temple, Edo-Tokyo Museum, Meiji Shrin, and the Shibuya Scramble Crossing.
“Some very special things on our itinerary that created a unique connection to home, while being across the globe, were our dinner at the HyLife Pork Table restaurant and our visit to the Embassy of Canada to Japan,” Sumner divulged. “The dinner was exceptionally special to me, given that the courses we ate all would have gone through the Neepawa HyLife plant.”
According to Sumner, those first few days in Tokyo also quickly showed her “what is most important to people in Japan”.
“It is one of the largest urban areas in the world, yet I never once saw litter on the street,” Sumner explained. “In all public spaces, the priority was to respect others, such as by keeping quiet on trains, maintaining cleanliness and order, and removing shoes when entering traditional buildings to keep indoor spaces clean.”
For the full story, see Page 19 of this week's newspaper!
Or, if you missed Part 1 of this two-part series, see Page 15 of the Sept. 18 edition.
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