BATH

As they walked off the bus and into gorgeous City Park on Monday, students from Tsugaru City, Japan, were greeted by the music of the Scott Davis Jazz Band, playing in the gazebo.

A few of them drifted toward Zorach Fountain, where they took photos of their friends who remained near the street. Then, following speechmaking, they were treated to Maine lobsters.

The hospitality was not lost on the Tsugaru students, wearing orange Tshirts commemorating the annual Bath/Tsugaru City Sister City program.

“It’s really friendly,” said Marino, a tall girl with a ready smile. “The people seem really nice.”

Both Marino and Kimio, a boy, spoke through translator Cindy Matthews, the Sister City program coordinator who has spent much time in and around Tsugaru. Bath native Jake Derector, who once took part in the program and now teaches in Japan, also helped the students speak with their hosts, and showed them around.

The Japanese students, who arrived last Saturday, have had no shortage of things to do. After getting acquainted with their host families, they went shopping on a drizzly Sunday morning, went tubing in the Kennebec River that afternoon, toured the State House on Monday morning and enjoyed a banquet at the Knights of Columbus hall on Monday evening. They will leave on Friday with a full Maine experience under their belts.

Including adults, the 39 visitors represent the largest Japanese contingent since the Sister City exchange began in 1989-90. Earlier this summer, students from in and around Bath visited Tsugaru City.

Deborah Patten, president of the Sister City board of directors, made the trip to Tsugaru City in 1999. At the time, the Japanese city was devoting a full one-third of its budget to the exchange.

“What keeps me going is the amazing friendship,” Patten said. “I was just blown away by the richness of the experience. It’s a beautful, rice-growing fishing village, and the hospitality was unbelievable.”

Regional School Unit 1 and the Bath Area Family YMCA have long been involved in the program, and the city is playing a larger part.

“We’re delighted we’re at the point that we have a board,” Patten said, “and we’re at the point we’ve been able to hire a coordinator.”

Marino and Kimio both said that learning English was important when they considered becoming part of the exchange.

“I really wanted to know what America was like,” Marino said, “and I really wanted to improve my English. Lots of countries use English.”

“This is fun,” Kimio said. “And I need to practice my English.”

Scott Davis, the city’s code enforcement officer, led the jazz band with his trumpet as the students sat at tables under a big tent, awaiting their lobster. David Sinclair, city council chairman, and state Rep. Seth Goodall, D-Richmond, welcomed the students.

Both Sinclair and Goodall presented gifts, and the Sagadahoc County Sheriff ’s Department provided gift bags for each student. Sinclair held up the wall-hanging, donated by Amanda Campbell of Mariner’s Compass Quilt Shop. The quilt design is the mariner’s compass, which reflects the maritime history not only of Bath, but of Tsugaru City as well. Campbell used 15 patterns for the quilt.

The YMCA serves as home base for the Sister City program.

Francie Tolan, the Y representative on the board, also hosted students Mimi, 14, and Moe, 13. Tolan’s daughters, 13-year-old Ann and 17- year-old Clare, are having as much fun as their visitors.

“My 13-year-old communicated with them Sunday morning that shopping would be a good option,” Tolan said. “Then they went tubing. We had fettucini alfredo for dinner with greens from the garden, and a birthday cake for Clare.”

Following the lobster feast, Tsugaru City students made candy at Now You’re Cooking, decorated cupcakes at the Bath Sweet Shoppe and got a tour of City Hall.

“When the group goes to Japan, they’re treated like royalty,” Tolan said. “I look at this as a real testament of support for Japan. And it’s a wonderful thing for the city of Bath.”

The Sister City exchange began on the 100th anniversary of the wreck of the American ship Chesebrough. The wreckage occurred near Shariki, now part of Tsugaru City.

Townspeople saw the damaged sails and set out in boats to rescue the ship’s crew. Three sailors were rescued, and one man washed ashore nearly died and was revived by a village woman by warming him in her kimono. A few townspeople ran 40 miles in the sleet, eating balls of rice for sustenance, to fetch a translator from the city of Aomori.

A delegation of Shariki village officials traveled to Bath, to propose the creation of a formal relationship. Papers were signed and Bath and Shariki became sister cities.

lgrard@timesrecord.com