Jungo Yagawa heads back to Japan in June after a year as an exchange student in Kentucky

Japanese exchange student Jungo Yagawa attended Hancock County High School during his sophomore year. He is living with Lisa and Tony Banta of Hawesville, who began hosting him Dec. 23, 2025, through an exchange program.

Yagawa transferred from Daviess County High School and began attending HCHS in September while staying with his initial host family.

“I’m from Tokyo, and it’s a big city,” Yagawa said. “My favorite subject at HCHS is agriculture. I want to learn new things. I also like 3D printing.”

He will be returning to Japan June 30.

“He had Mr. Smith for agriculture, and I think he really enjoyed learning about that,” Lisa Banta said.

He has spent nearly a year in Kentucky. It was not his first trip to the United States, he said, but it was his first time participating in an exchange program. When he was very young, his family lived in Tampa, Florida. He has missed them during his time away.

“I didn’t see my family this whole year,” he said.

Yagawa has settled in well during his time in Hancock County. The Bantas have a son close to his age, which has made the stay especially fun.

“It’s been a real blessing for us,” Banta said. “We have a 14-year-old son, and Jungo is 16. It’s been nice for them, I think, to have each other to do things with and hang out. The student body at the high school really embraced Jungo, and he’s made new friends that he likes to hang out with. They just loved him being there at school this year. I would think that enriched the experience for him.”

She said the small size of the school and the Hancock County community helped him adjust quickly.

“He was able to enter the fold easily,” Banta said. “He got to go to ballgames and dances and, for the most part, I think he had a pretty good, typical high school experience. His teachers were all engaged with him, and I think having the smaller classes made it more personal. Overall, I think it was a good fit for him.”

The Bantas said they asked why he chose a smaller community. Used to life in Tokyo, a large city, he wanted a contrast and has liked the open space and farmland in rural Kentucky.

“I really enjoy this state,” he said.

Yagawa described what he likes to do for fun in Tokyo and in Hancock County.

“In Tokyo, I like to go out to eat,” he said. “Here, I enjoy baseball and nature. I like fishing.”

He has played baseball with the HCHS team and gone fishing during his stay. He said he also fished in Japan sometimes, but it differs because fishing there often takes place at pay lakes.

“The HCHS baseball team loves him,” Banta said. “It’s been a good experience for them and for him.”

He noted what he has enjoyed the most about HCHS and the community in Hancock County.

“I like that people are so nice and open,” Yagawa said. “I like the school’s teachers and my classmates too.”

Banta responded to questions about Japanese dishes he likes and whether he has taught the family how to make any of them.

“He is going to prepare some sushi for us within the next week or so,” Banta said. “We are excited about that. We’ll be his sous-chefs. For the most part, he’s eaten what we normally eat here. One of my husband’s specialties is to make hibachi, so we’ve done that a couple of times. He’s mostly had good old American food here with us. We have immersed him in American fare.”

Local food was also a topic of conversation.

“I like the spicy foods,” he said. “I like going to Mexican restaurants. My favorite is American breakfast food.”

The Bantas said they’ve discussed a possible trip to Japan to visit the Yagawa family.

“I think it would be wonderful to be able to go over there and visit sometime,” she said.

Yagawa has his junior and senior years to complete in Japan before graduating. He said he has not yet decided on a career path or college.

“He doesn’t know what he wants to do for college, for sure, but I do think that he has floated the idea of maybe coming back to America for college,” Banta said. “Maybe he will do that, and that would be a great opportunity for us to see him again too.”

Tony and Lisa Banta live in Hawesville. Lisa is the engineering teacher at HCHS, leads the Technology Student Association and is the girls basketball head coach. Tony, a retired U.S. Army commander, coaches HCHS baseball. He previously taught allied health classes and recently returned to a part-time government job.

The Bantas are blessed with three children: Luke, 25, who lives in Tampa; Emma, 23, who recently returned to Kentucky; and Jack, 14, who will be a freshman at HCHS this fall.

Lisa is the daughter of the late Harold Wayne Newton, who served the community in several legal roles, including Hawesville city attorney, assistant commonwealth’s attorney and Hancock County attorney for 24 years.

Jungo Yagawa is the son of Yosuke and Kumi Yagawa. He has one younger sister, Yurika.