Dear Host Family,

Hello! My name is Hinano.

First of all, I’d like to introduce myself. I was born and raised in Fukuchiyama, where I still live. I’ll be 17 during my stay with you. My hobbies are listening to music and watching Western movies. I always listen to music with excitement! I also enjoy taking pictures, especially of beautiful scenery. I would love to visit many places with beautiful scenery. On New Year’s Day this year, I climbed a local mountain to see the first sunrise of the year! If you enjoy hiking, I would love to climb a mountain with you someday. I am also interested in learning not only general English, but also local dialects, which I think would be exciting to learn from you. I am looking forward to talking with you a lot!!

Next, let me tell you about my school life. I am currently enrolled in an international course at a school where one-third of the students are from other countries. In my classroom, not only Japanese but also English, Yoruba, Tagalog, and many other languages are spoken all the time. During breaks, I enjoy talking with international students in both Japanese and English. I even went mountain climbing on New Year’s Day with one of my international student friends! Talking with them and exchanging opinions has been so interesting and this is one of the reasons I wanted to study abroad.

When I was in elementary school, I visited Hawaii with my family. I was still young, but I remember being deeply moved by the new experiences I had there. It felt so different from Japan, and it made me want to learn more about the world!

Finally, let me tell you a little more about myself and my family. I have a father, a mother, two sisters, and a cat. My father and I are both cheerful and sociable. My mother and older sister are careful and very skilled. My youngest sister is now 5 years old, which makes her 11 years younger than me. She is always saying something funny that makes us all laugh. Our family cat, Jiji, is always by our side, bringing us comfort.

I’ve always loved performing in front of people and standing out, so I learned cheerleading and hip-hop dancing. I was also the class leader in my first year of junior high school and a student council officer for the next two years. These experiences helped me develop leadership skills and confidence. I also participated in volunteer activities, which taught me the value of being proactive.

When I asked my friends how they would describe me, they said I’m always smiling. I believe a smile is contagious and can brighten those around me, so I always try to keep one! I’d say I’m a friendly and sociable person.

This will be my first time traveling to the U.S. alone, and I’m very excited. I’m looking forward to meeting you.

Thank you for choosing me and for the kindness of my host family!

Sincerely,
Hinano