Having been in Japan for five weeks, there was rarely a dull moment as Ben continued to learn and experience Japan first hand.
The weekends have been full of interesting excursions. One day Ben was accompanied by his host father and two students who also won Mitsubishi scholarships on a tour of the Mitsubishi factory. They also took a quick trip to Himeji Castle. The next weekend, he visited Naoshima, a small island between Shikoku and the main island of Japan. “Naoshima is a very interesting place because it combines the traditional style architecture of Japan with a more modern artistic style. The architect of many of the island's attractions, Ando, worked mostly with geometric shapes and concrete,” Wozniak explains. “He created some interesting buildings including an art museum which is almost entirely underground but only naturally lit.” 
Ben also is learning about the culture of Japan and recently took a class to learn how to make udon noodles. “Udon is probably my favorite Japanese food, which is good because there are more udon shops in Kagawa prefecture (the prefecture in which he lives) than street lights!” At a Youth for Understanding (YFU) he also made a traditional Japanese fan.
The week days were much more consistent. Each day he woke up around 6:00 or 6:30 and left for school anywhere from 7:15 to 7:30. His otoosan droves him directly to Takase high school and classes began at 8:15 with announcements and a few 1 minute speeches. In fact, he was required to give a 1-minute speech everyday he has been there! The speech is in English to help the students practice listening to a native speaker. Ben’s speech topics included everything from high school life in America to his favorite vacation. He also had to prepare a farewell speech which he delivered on July 18th.
A typical school day ended at 3:15. After school, Ben spends time playing ping pong with a classmate, or sitting in the beautiful courtyard of the school reading or talking with friends. “The English teachers love having me around because I give the students practice talking to a fluent English speaker,” he says. “I really want to learn more Japanese, but it is difficult when everyone wants to practice their English!” Ben like that the students at the Takase high school are not shy.
Ben shared his general impressions of these last weeks: “First, Japanese meals, particularly dinner, have such a large variety. There is always a great variety of food and a very large amount of it. I have yet to feel hungry after a meal. Second, Japan is extremely safe. Upon talking to a few other exchange students, we come to the conclusion that Japan is probably one of the safest countries . Other exchange students tell stories of leaving their phone on their bike, or keeping their bike unlocked and coming back hours or days later to find everything still there, even in the larger cities! Third, in my limited interaction with Japanese adults, I have found that they are some of the most generous people I know.”
That’s not to say Ben doesn’t miss the U.S., pizza or his mother’s pepperoni roll! He looks forward to returning to a “relatively loud” American high school classroom and a more interactive style of teaching-learning. And, of course, he misses his family and friends.