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lad in a handsomely tailored dark grey suit, Satoshi Yano walked into a room at the Sapporo International Communication Plaza Foundation building here on a cold December evening, having braved the Friday evening traffic straight after work.
The elementary school teacher was among eight Japanese hosts gathered to greet 16 journalists from Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia, who would be staying in their homes over the next three days.
The homestay formed part of the seven-day JENESYS for Young Media Professionals 2025 programme held from Dec 2 to 9, designed to expose the ASEAN journalists to Japan’s political, economic and cultural landscape.
The JENESYS (Japan-East Asia Network of Exchange for Students and Youths) programme is a people-to-people exchange initiative by the Japanese government to strengthen ties between Japan and the Asia-Pacific region.
This writer and ‘New Straits Times’ reporter Mohamad Al As Mohd Yunos, 28, were assigned to stay with Yano.
At first glance, Yano, 54, appeared to embody the familiar Japanese stereotype – composed and serious – yet this perception completely changed once we got to know him personally.
His polite bow that evening marked the beginning of an unforgettable journey.
OPENING DOORS TO STRANGERS
As soon as we arrived at Yano’s house, located in the Teine area – a 30-minute drive from Sapporo city centre – we were warmly greeted by his wife Akiko Yano, 56, also an elementary school teacher.
We met their daughter Moeri Yano, 24, who is a kindergarten teacher, and their sons Ryoma Yano, 19, a university student, and Masaya Yano, 16, who is in high school.
Bernama reporter Ammar Shafiq Hamzah (second from left) and New Straits Times reporter Mohamad Al As (middle) pose with the Yano family.
Despite their warm welcome, the family’s obvious concern was how we would communicate with each other, as none of them could speak fluent English and our Japanese proficiency was also limited.
Still, we managed to get by using a mix of simple English, translation apps and non-verbal cues like hand gestures and facial expressions.
Reflecting on his experience, Mohamad Al As said he had anticipated the language barrier.
“From the very beginning, I knew communication would be difficult,” he said. “Using the translation app helped me understand and even speak some Japanese, especially since the parents weren’t fluent in English.
“Sometimes, the app couldn’t capture their Hokkaido dialect. In the end, their children, who spoke a little English, became an invaluable bridge not just translating but helping us truly understand their thoughts and culture.”
One of the first things we noticed about their home was how compact it was. Mohamad Al As and I shared a room, with the living room quickly becoming the centre of our interactions, where we sat together, learned about one another, laughed and played console games.
It was in this very space that we were introduced to the gastronomic wonders of Sapporo.
Our meals included fruit, alongside fish and seafood, tempura, rice, miso soup, natto (fermented soybeans) and local delicacies such as king crab and hairy crab.
We also got to learn some Japanese during our stay, picking up basic words such as itadakimasu (a Japanese phrase uttered before eating), oishii (delicious) and sumimasen (sorry).
As Mohamad Al As pointed out, “I noticed the melodic quality of the Japanese language, which sometimes allowed me to grasp the meaning through context even when I did not understand the words themselves.”
MEANINGFUL CONNECTION
Over the course of three days, we visited some of Sapporo’s most famous sites with our host family and took part in a variety of activities.
We explored the Historical Village of Hokkaido, an open-air museum featuring relocated and restored buildings that showcase the prefecture’s history from 1868 to the 1920s.
The living room of the Yano family, which served as the centre of interactions and where guests were introduced to the gastronomic wonders of Sapporo.
We also visited the Hokkaido Museum, which houses exhibits related to the Ainu, the indigenous people of Hokkaido, as well as a mammoth skull and other fascinating historical artefacts.
Yet beyond sightseeing, the most impactful aspect of the homestay programme was the connection we formed with our host family.
Emanuel Berkah Caesario, 35, an editor at ‘Bisnis Indonesia’ who also participated in the homestay programme, said even though it lasted only three days, the openness and kindness shown by the host family made everything feel natural.
He said friendship can grow quickly when people are open and sincere, even across different cultures and languages.
“The most memorable moment for me was sharing simple daily activities with my host family, especially sharing meals together and talking about everyday life. What stayed with me most were the small, everyday moments that felt very genuine.
“Living with them felt warm and natural, as if I were staying with relatives. Despite the cold weather outside, their home atmosphere was very comforting,” he added.
INTEGRATION MODEL
Reflecting on the participants’ experiences, homestays are undoubtedly an effective way to foster cross-cultural understanding, especially among the younger generation, as they allow direct, personal interaction.
This is particularly significant in a multiethnic country like Malaysia with its diverse backgrounds, observed academician Prof Datuk Dr Jayum Jawan.
Masaya Yano (left) and Satoshi Yano (right) preparing Sapporo’s renowned culinary delicacies the king crab and hairy crab.
Asked how homestay programmes can help promote unity, Jayum, who is also a Fellow of the Academy of Sciences Malaysia, said that while young people can learn about other cultures through books, true appreciation can only come from real-life experiences.
“Living and experiencing another culture firsthand through homestays helps increase awareness of others and can help break stereotypes and preconceived notions,” he told Bernama, when contacted.
He added that such programmes should be promoted and introduced at both high school and university levels.
Interaction between younger generations from Sabah and Sarawak and their counterparts in Peninsular Malaysia, for example, is essential for integration and nation-building, he said.
“We need homestay programmes where Malay students get to stay with Chinese families, Chinese students with Dayak families and Dayak students with Indian families.
“As future leaders, they need to network so that when they become leaders, they have a sense of being Malaysian, because all this while they have been separated by the South China Sea, attending schools and universities in different locations,” he said.
Acknowledging that such programmes require substantial funding, he believes the government should still consider implementing them, starting on a small scale.
“There will be challenges, which is natural when people of different ethnic backgrounds, faiths, cultures and ways of life come together. Religious practices and dietary requirements may pose significant obstacles,” he added.
Despite the limitations, the true impact of such programmes is what matters most, namely their ability to foster integration, understanding and connection.
Amid Sapporo’s cold, snowy weather conditions, we said goodbye to our hosts. But what remained was the warmth of the connections we had made.
