Six Flintshire students are preparing to jet off to the Land of the Rising Sun where they will spend time soaking up Japanese culture with their host families.

But first the six Welsh families will host Japanese students who will be arriving in July for a two week stay and an opportunity to discover a little of life in North Wales.

Two of the teenagers involved in this year’s youth exchange, Mold Alun High School A-level student, Chloe Stark, 17, and Castel Alun High School A-level student Alex Moutrie, 17, are excited to have the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to immerse themselves in all things Japanese.

And for Chloe, who is studying A-level psychology, French, maths and chemistry the exchange trip is a dream come true as she has always been fascinated by Japan and its people.

She said: “I don’t know where I got this fascination from but it started when I was aged around 10. I got books from the library that where written in English but in the Japanese style so you read them from the back page toward the front.

“I was always interested in learning more about Japan and Japanese society. Everything seems so different and I really want to experience that culture.

“I saw Japanese Youth Exchange posters up in school and knew straight away I just had to apply. We had to write a 1,000 word essay explaining why we wanted to go and what we wanted to see and experience.

“There was then an interview which was quite relaxed and I got a call later in the day to ask if I knew where my passport was. I started to explain until the penny dropped and I understood I had been accepted.”

Alex Moutrie, who is studying history, law and computer science at A-level says he saw posters about the Japanese exchange in school and after a presentation about the exchange scheme in a morning assembly he texted his mum to tell her he was going to Japan.

He said: “I was determined right from first hearing about the exchange. It’s a massive opportunity and I really wanted to give it everything I had. I didn’t know Chloe or the other selected students before learning I had been selected but we all get on really well.

“We meet monthly as a group with our parents and the Flintshire County Council exchange leaders so we can plan activities and what we are going to show our new Japanese friends.

“Plans are in place to visit the Blues Festival in Mold, Chirk Castle and other Flintshire highlights and we are going to London for a few nights as a group and going to a West End show.”

Alex, who lives in Bwlchgwyn, added: “I’m a huge fan of gaming and will be interested to see more of how new games are developed in Japan but the whole Japanese culture is fascinating.

“Food might be a problem but I’m willing to try anything, other than mushrooms and cheese, the two things I really can’t stand.

“It’s going to be really interesting to see the difference between a big city like Tokyo and the more rural area of Morata where we will be staying with our Japanese hosts.”

The Optec Japanese Youth Exchange began in 1990 after Japanese firm Optec commenced trading in the then Alyn and District of Clwyd with a factory in Buckley.

Keen to see young people from North Wales and Japan experience each other’s cultures and lifestyles Optec bosses provided a sum of £120,000 to finance the exchange scheme and set up a charitable trust to administer the funds.

Since then six Flintshire students at a time have, each July, hosted Japanese students in their family homes before travelling to Japan with their new friends and staying as guests of the Japanese families.

No fewer than 162 Flintshire students from high schools across the county have benefitted from the scheme.

However, after interest rates fell more than a decade ago the capital held by the charitable trust, which is administered by Flintshire Council, has fallen year on year and there is now only sufficient funds for three more exchanges to take place.

Flintshire Council’s Japanese Youth Exchange co-ordinator, Karen Jones, a civic and member services officer in the council’s Corporate Services department, says it will be a big loss if the exchange runs out of money and has to stop in three years time.

She said: “Flintshire County Council manages the scheme alongside a board of independent trustees. The council manages the scheme but does not fund it in any way.

“The charitable Trust can only continue with the money we have left for three more exchanges.

“However, I hope a company that understands the benefits of the exchange and would like to see it continue might step in and provide some funds allowing the exchange to continue for at least another few years.”

Castel Alun High School pupils Andrew Cowling and Grace Davies, Mold Alun High School pupil Jessica Randell and Harwarden High School student Lucy Harrison, all 17, are also taking part in this year’s exchange.