High school and college students from Japan and Guam participated in a food and cultural exchange hosted by Guam Community College and the Guam Visitors Bureau on Wednesday.

Three Japanese exchange students, Mai Saito, Arisa Sasaki, and Aki Yamada, from Hirosaki Jitsugyou High School in Aomori Prefecture, earned the opportunity to participate in a Study Tour to Guam by winning the Umaimon Koshien 2024, a high school cooking contest in Japan.

At Leo Palace Resort, 10 Okkodo High School students from GCC’s Hospitality and Tourism Management program shared a presentation about Guam's unique culture, food, and language.

“The students created the presentation themselves, using the materials and knowledge we provided in the classroom through their three-year program,” said Carol Cruz, GCC Assistant Professor of Hospitality and Tourism Management.

“The program is tailored to educate and perpetuate Guam’s tourism and hospitality industry. Tourism is our island’s major economic engine and these students will one day lead our tourism market in a career in the hospitality and tourism industry,” Cruz added.

The Japanese exchange students’ whipped up their winning dish, the “Gappado Aomori Burger,” for the culinary students.

In turn, GCC chefs Paul Kerner and Bertrand Harullio demonstrated CHamoru dishes, joined by Guest Chef Koji Tanimoto, the official resident chef of Japan Consul General Susumu Ueda.

“Compared to last year, there were more students and chefs who participated this year. We are grateful to have Okkodo’s HTMP students, Consul General Ueda and Chef Tanimoto join us to help create an even more meaningful cultural exchange,” GVB Senior Marketing Manager Regina Nedlic stated.

Hermoine Martinez, GCC Baking & Pastry postsecondary student was excited about the event.

“I was excited and nervous to meet the exchange students from Japan that have similar educational goals as mine,” said Martinez. “I enjoyed watching them prepare their dishes using the diverse ingredients to win the competition in Japan. I would like to keep the connection with these students and hope to learn from each other through our culinary educations.”

GCC & Okkodo students volunteered to host the three exchange students in a tour around the CHamoru Village to take in the sights and sounds of the Wednesday Night Market.

“We're grateful to take part in this unique opportunity for Japan high school contest winners to experience a culinary and cultural exchange with our talented students in Guam,” said GVB President & CEO Régine Biscoe Lee.

“This exchange not only allows us to share our food and traditions with these visiting youth, but also to create relationships, making Guam a special place for them to return to in the future,” she added.