Chilton County peach fried pies, southern style homemade biscuits, catfish, Burger King chicken fries and driving on the right side of the road have all been revelations for Japanese visitor, 24-year-old Yuka Takagi.

In an unofficial month-long cultural exchange program it was difficult to tell who learned more, Takagi or Julian Newman Elementary first graders.

Takagi, who will be a full-time student in business and marketing when she returns to Japan on Saturday, has been the houseguest of Jack and Donna McDaniel for the past month. A close friend of the McDaniel’s son, Andrew, who manages golf courses in Japan, Takagi met Andrew McDaniel while she worked for a golf cart dealership.

Takagi’s mission on this visit to the United States is to absorb as much American culture as she can. Donna McDaniel teaches first grade at Julian Newman and Takagi frequently attended class with her. She described the feeling of an American classroom as “more relaxed.”

“The teachers are more friendly here, and there are only 20 kids in the class,” she said. “We have 40 (in Japanese classrooms).”

Takagi said Japanese students also receive very little individualized instruction. For a student to request help brings dishonor on his or her family. There is no such thing as failing a grade. She said if a student has not mastered the coursework it is the parents’ responsibility to hire a tutor and see that they are ready to enter the next grade.

Takagi said that Japanese students begin to learn reading and writing English at 12 or 13. McDaniel, who traveled to Japan three years ago, had a chance to visit a classroom there.

“They can read English, but they can’t speak it,” said McDaniel. “They don’t know what it sounds like. We ran into some children and their teacher asked if they could practice on us.”

Takagi has few problems with English, however. She falters over few words, but sometimes looks to McDaniel for prompting on a particularly unfamiliar term. McDaniel said that Takagi has been a big hit with her first graders.

“They love her,” she said. “It’s all I can do to keep them in their seats.”

“I love Miss Yuka. I want to go to Japan,” said student Mallory Noah.

Takagi made nametags for each of the students with their names written in English and in Japanese.

“They were so excited,” said McDaniel. “They wanted to take the name tags home, but we wouldn’t let them. Some of them have learned to write their names in Japanese on paper.”

Takagi has also demonstrated the ancient art of paper folding, origami, and has taught them Japanese songs.

“She is nice and pretty,” said student Kaylee Word. “She taught us to do origami. That was my favorite.”

She has also told them about the cherry blossom festival that is celebrated countrywide.

“They are many food stands around the cherry trees and we have picnics under the trees,” she said. “It looks like it has snowed pink. They light them up at night and we meet friends under the trees. There is a moat around the Imperial Palace and we take boat rides under a canopy of pink blossoms.”

Takagi said that McDaniel’s students were fascinated by her descriptions and pictures of Mt. Fugi, and each of them did a painting of the famous Japanese landmark.

On Friday, Takagi taught them to make rice balls from the highly glutinous rice consumed in Japan.

They made rice balls with sour plums in the middle,” said McDaniel. “These are wrapped in seaweed and eaten by hand. We compared Japanese sticky rice with Vietnamese or Mexican rice. Japanese rice is shaped differently and is sticky. Vietnamese and Mexican rice are slick and do not stick together. She also made soup and noodles. The children ate the noodles with chopsticks. First, they practiced picking up cotton balls with their chopsticks. The noodles were much harder.”

The children also learned about green tea and got to try it.

“It’s been fun to have Miss Yuka here,” said student Reese Tetreault. “She has taught us to eat with chopsticks and taught us a lot of Japanese. She is a really good friend.”

Although Takagi hasn’t mastered American cuisine, she is adept at other ethnic dishes. Her father is a chef in an Italian restaurant and she had prepared an Italian feast for the McDaniels during her stay.

McDaniel bought a box of Bisquick and Takagi was to have a lesson in southern biscuits before leaving on Friday. “In Japan, we only have KFC biscuits,” she said. The biscuits are the next challenge after mastering driving an American car. But she said she much prefers automatic transmissions.

“Cars are on the other side of the road,” Takagi said. “The steering wheel is on the opposite side. Andrew’s car is a stick. There is too much thinking. But now I can drive the van and I have been to class and the mall.”

“I told Andrew, she’s got a car, a cell phone and three maps to tell her where she’s going,” said McDaniel. “I don’t think she’s coming back (to Japan).”

On Tuesday, McDaniel’s students gave Takagi a going-away party and gave her a scrapbook and scrapbook supplies.

“We will say goodbye with much sadness,” said McDaniel. “It has been a wonderful experience for all. She told my son that she loved the children best of all.”

“She is the best,” said student Kaitlyn Watkins. “I hope she comes back to visit. She taught us a lot of Japanese stuff. It was so much fun.”