These are the lucky students who were awarded to travel across alongside the mayor of Whakatāne to Japan.
The overseas trip is run by the Whakatāne District Council where they learn about the Japanese language and culture.
Vonnie Waihirere says, “It feels awesome and we're building a relationship between our two cultures.”
This group from Whakatāne will arrive in Kamagaya. It has a population over 1000,000 people, and on train it is one hour from Tokyo. The biggest challenge was to raise money.
Kamagaya was elevated to the city status on September 1, 1971.
The highlight of the trip for the Whakatane Intermediate Students will be its vast cultural experience.
Vonnie Waihirere says, “We're all excited and they have a busy schedule ahead of them.”
They'll showcase their performance at the Kamagaya City Hall opening next Monday.