JAPANESE students on an exchange programme with Tavistock College took time out of their action-packed itinerary to meet and have lunch with the mayor of Tavistock last week.

The 12 students over from Kantoudaichi Senior High School in Edogawa Ward, Tokyo, met the mayor, Cllr Anne Johnson, and exchanged gifts, as well as hearing an introduction to the town from Tavistock town crier David Turner.

The students stayed with host families in the town for a week and took part in a variety of activities during their stay, including lesson observation of years 7, 10 and 11 at the college, horse-riding, dressing up as Tudors at Buckland Abbey and visiting the Eden Project.

Head of Japanese at the college Crispin Chambers said the Japanese exchange programme, which already takes place several times a year, is really taking off: 'We will soon be welcoming 20 students, one from each different school in Edogawa.

'The Japanese Government wants to send more children and adults to Tavistock — the mayor of Edogawa is keen to start a primary school age exchange for them to study and sight-see.'

Mr Chambers is hopeful that the primary school exchange will start this summer, but said that they are unsure yet as to whether Tavistock pupils will return the visit to Japan.