THERE were tears and hugs as a group of Japanese students who had been on a return exchange visit to Tavistock College left the town on Tuesday morning, writes Ann Parsons. The 15 students and three staff from Momijigawa Senior High School arrived on Sunday, March 13. It followed a visit to Japan last November by 30 Tavistock students. Head of Japanese at the college, Crispin Chambers, said friendships had been struck up and they had to ?prise them apart? when they left. The Japanese students live in the Edogawa ward of Tokyo, which has a population of 800,000. Mr Chambers said the school had about 1,000 pupils. He said: ?It is very high profile, and they work closely with the mayor?s office ? mayors are very powerful over there and they are pushing international relations with exchanges.? Mr Chambers said only two other schools in Britain take part in the exchanges, with Tavistock College being the largest. ?When we go to Japan the students get the opportunity to lead the city life, experiencing the underground, international forums, temples, Disneyland. ?When the Japanese students come here we take them horse riding on Dartmoor, to Exeter Cathedral, Dartington Crystal, the Eden Project, and we also had an evening of Morris dancing,? he said. The Japanese visitors were welcomed officially to Tavistock by town mayor Jenny Metcalf and town crier Bob Rose last week at a buffet reception in the town hall. Mr Chambers said: ?They had a fabulous time culminating in the farewell ? ?sayounara? ? party on Monday night. All the Tavistock host students danced with the Japanese after Jenny Metcalf had presented the Japanese with their certificates to commemorate their visit, as well as school ties and an Easter egg each.? The visitors have been joining students in their Japanese lessons during the week, helping out, getting involved and playing games. They also had English lessons at the Alexander Centre, visited Tavistock police station and primary school and experienced a Devon cream tea at the Bedford Hotel. Mr Chambers will be taking 20 students to Tokyo for two weeks in November. And more than ten Year 8 pupils have already signed up for another exchange in 2008.