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Daughter of a BEA exchange student visits in BE

Takamichi Miyamoto, from Japan, graduated from BEA in 1994

By Kevin Mertens - Staff Writer | Aug 20, 2023

Kairi Miyamoto is show above standing between Tim and Marianne Mullaly during her stay in Blue Earth. Kairi’s father, Takamichi, graduated from Blue Earth Area High School in 1994. Kairi is visiting Minnesota for three weeks before traveling back to Japan.

It was 1994 when Takamichi Miyamoto, an exchange student from Japan, graduated from Blue Earth Area High School.

Now, with the aid of some of the people he got to know during his time in the Blue Earth area, Miyamoto’s daughter, Kairi, is getting her chance to experience life in Minnesota.

“I am only here for about three weeks,” Kairi, who speaks English, says. “The only other state I have been to besides Minnesota is Hawaii.”

Kairi shares she is only 16 years old and has two more years of schooling before she goes to college.

“I do not know what college I will go to,” she comments. “My favorite subject is chemistry and I also enjoy the arts.”

Next year she will study in Belgium as part of the AFS (American Field Service) Intercultural Program.

Her father continued his stay in Minnesota after he graduated from BEA and graduated from Minnesota State University – Mankato in 2000.

Takamichi Miyamoto now works in the marketing department for a company in Yokohama, Japan, which is also where he, his wife Masami, Kairi and her younger brother, Kosuke, live. Yokohama is located about 20 miles southeast of Tokyo and has a population of 3.8 million people.

Kairi has been staying with Tim and Marianne Mullaly during her time in Blue Earth. Her father’s host parents when he attended BEA were Bill and Jean Bierly

“I remember when Takamichi graduated from BEA and his father came over from Japan to see his son graduate,” Tim comments. “He was here for a few days and I told him I would be his chauffeur and take him wherever he wanted. He wanted to see the Field of Dreams so we took him to Dyersville, Iowa, so he could have that experience.”

Tim shares how Kairi’s trip to the United States came about.

“Her dad worked with Linda Willette to help line up places for Kairi to stay,” Tim explains. “Linda lives in the Twin Cities area now but used to live in Faribault County.”

Besides Willette and the Mullaly family, Kairi also spent five days with former BEA teacher Barb Carlson, who lives near Bricelyn.

“I have visited Minneapolis, Mankato and Winona,” Kairi comments. “I visited Winona State College and the Eagle Center, the Mall of America and the Minneapolis Institute of Art.”

She also was able to attend the Blue Earth Town and Country Players’ production of “Clue, The Musical” during her time in Blue Earth.

Kairi was not in the area during the Faribault County Fair but a trip to the Nicollet County Fair in St. Peter was on her itinerary, courtesy of the Mullalys.

Her list of things she does for fun when she is back home in Japan sounds very similar to the average American teenager.

“I like to play basketball, practice guitar, read books, play games and visit friends,” she says.

Soon, Kairi will board a plane in Minneapolis and begin the 11-hour flight back to Japan, but she will go home with many good memories and an appreciation of how things are different in Minnesota than in her country.

“There is a lot more nature here in Minnesota,” Kairi concludes, “And, there is a lot more space.”