On the weekend of July 15 and 16, international students stayed with families in the Okitama area for two days and one night with the cooperation of the Hippo Family Club, a local support group. They looked nervous while waiting to meet each other, but as soon as they were greeted by the warm voices of “你好 (ni hao)!” and “Hello!”, they were able to relax.  Although it was only a short exchange with local people of around 24 hours, it was a very valuable time for them to learn about and experience Japanese families and home life.