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Preschool exchange programme in Japan provides unique learning for Hong Kong children

A Japanese preschool exchange programme is attracting Hong Kong families who hope to expose their children to new cultural experiences

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Evelyn Yau and her grandmother stand in front of the preschool that Yau attended, in Sado Island, as part of the programme offered by Japanese Preschool Exchange. Photo: courtesy of Joyce Chen
Mabel Lui

Joyce Chen was scrolling on Instagram one day in early 2024 when an advertisement caught her eye.

It was for a programme called Japanese Preschool Exchange where families could travel to a region in Japan and have their child attend a preschool there for one week to three months.

Chen wondered if it might be a scam, and asked friends if they had ever heard of the programme before. None had – but she decided to take a shot in the dark and send an inquiry email anyway.

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After being reassured by the legitimacy of the information she received, she decided to enrol her three-year-old daughter, Evelyn, in the programme. In summer 2024, the pair – as well as Chen’s parents – travelled from Hong Kong to Sado Island, just off the coast of Niigata prefecture.
The two-storey house on Sado Island where Joyce Chen and her family stayed. Photo: courtesy of Joyce Chen
The two-storey house on Sado Island where Joyce Chen and her family stayed. Photo: courtesy of Joyce Chen

The family stayed there for one week. On weekdays, just before 9am, Chen would drop her daughter off at Sawane Preschool; in the midafternoon, she would pick her up and drive back to their accommodation, which was 15 minutes away.

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Chen hoped the programme would expose Evelyn to a new and foreign learning experience.

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