About Us

Haddonfield Japan exchange

The Haddonfield Japan Exchange (HJE) was born in 2006 out of the vision of retired Philadelphia teacher and longtime Haddonfield resident Bill Brown. 

The HJE facilitates an exchange program between high school students in Haddonfield and Japan. In alternating summers, 15-20 students and chaperones from Japan and the U.S. visit one another and stay with host families for two weeks. Since its founding, more than 200 American and Japanese students have participated in the program. With many returning stating their experience was one of the most important and enjoyable trips they have taken in their lives, students have forged lifelong memories, international friendships, and a profound appreciation for Japanese culture and its people.

This international exchange program has been a labor of love for Bill, who led the trips to Japan and the United States for over a decade. He still exudes the same enthusiasm as he did 20 years ago and leads the HJE today as Co-Director. 

MISSION

To empower students of Haddonfield to become global citizens through cultural immersion in Japan, and to strengthen the bond between our communities.

OUR JAPANESE PARTNER

We partner with the premier international school Sendai Ikuei Gakuen, a private high school accredited in IBDP (International Baccalaureate Diploma Program). The high school is located in Sendai, the capital of Miyagi Prefecture and the largest city in the northeast of Japan. Sendai is an optimal city for our exchange students to experience the true and authentic Japan - it's known for its rich samurai history, beauty, and is far enough from Tokyo to eliminate mass foreign tourism.