STUDENTS from Tokyo met Tavistock mayor Jenny Metcalf last week when she welcomed them to the town on an exchange visit.

The 20 Japanese students have been staying with host families from Tavistock College for ten days of Devonshire entertainment ? they sampled the region?s cultural and culinary delights, including gift boxes of Devon clotted cream fudge from the mayor.

The exchange is the latest in a regular programme running between schools in Tokyo and Tavistock College and is the largest of its kind in this country.

The latest exchange was devised specially by the mayor of the Tokyo province of Edogawa, who put students through a rigorous selection procedure to secure one of only 20 places from more than 400 applications.

Tavistock College Japanese language teacher Crispin Chambers said: ?We have had the Japanese course up and running since 1996 and it has gone from strength to strength ? everyone learns such a lot from the huge change in cultures, but also realises how much we have in common.?

The college has long been recognised as a top languages school and was granted specialist status in languages almost as soon as the government?s specialist schools status scheme was introduced.

So far, the college has seen a number of ex-pupils continue to study Japanese at higher education level, with two studying straight degrees in Japanese.

Among this year?s college graduates is Sam Dobson, whose mother said: ?Looking back on his school career the Japanese exchange was the one defining moment ? the one that really changed his life.

?He felt so at home in Tokyo, and now he is heading back there for his gap year before taking up a place at Oxford Brookes University to study Film and Japanese.?

Year 11 pupils Katie Baird and Zoë Stock, who are awaiting their GCSE results, took part in the last exchange programme to Tokyo in November 2003.

They said: ?We had a brilliant time in Tokyo, the host families were amazing, they really spoilt us and we?d love to go back.?

Katie is planning to study Japanese for A-level and hopes to take part in this November?s exchange as well.