A GROUP of Canobolas Rural Technology High School Year 10 students will today bid sayonara to 13 Japanese students following a week-long exchange program allowing the tourists to immerse themselves in the region.
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But if response of the Toyo Ushiku students yesterday was anything to go by, the group will certainly be back.
Spruiking their "Aussie time" as an experience of a lifetime, Toyo teachers Hitoshi Kezuka and Satushi Aoki were thrilled with their stay in Orange.
"The wildlife, in Japan we can not see the horses or cows or kangaroos. They get close. In Japan we can't see them," Mr Kezuka said.
"We enjoy it. This is our second time, for both of us," Mr Aoki added.
"We don't want to go."
An annual exchange program that'll also see some Canobolas students stay in Japan come September, the Australia-stay of the leg had the Japanese students visit Mount Canobolas as well as sites in Cowra, Canowindra and Bathrust.
The students also learned about Aboriginal culture in their time studying at Canobolas.
But 17-year-old Ryohei Seto said the highlight of the trip was the hospitality of his host family that made the experience something to remember.
"The horses and the off-road motorbike at the host family. Farm life. It's good," he said.
Canobolas' Jacinta Percival said the Orange families took as much as the Japanese students did from the whole experience.
"Learning a different culture, learning what they do at school, helping them experience life here in Australia. Animals, they haven't really seen open spaces ... it's an experience for them," Miss Percival said.
"Quite a few of them haven't seen stars before, so they were pretty excited about seeing the stars.
"We've become really close. It's going to be tough to say goodbye."
