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Lord Botetourt principal Alan Brenner and Japanese teacher Jun Nakagawa , who is accompanying the students from Hokkaido's Ritsumeikan School, explained how the exchange of something so simple as a business card is culturally different.

The student exchange has been sponsored by the Japanese based Dynax Corporation located in the Cloverdale area that is one the county's largest employers. So business cards play a part in the student exchange.

In Japan when Brenner was there several years ago, he learned to pull out his card and bow when he gave the card to the administrator of the Ritsumeikan School. "The Japanese do not pocket the card," said Brenner, "they place it in front of them on the table during the meeting." Sometimes they may have five or six cards in front of them during discussion. It is a show of respect.

Brenner then showed Nakagawa, who teaches English at the school, how Americans produce a card and then shake hands before pocketing the card in a suit or shirt pocket to later go in a Roladex or be transformed into a Palm Pilot or Blackberry. Just a little more cultural exchange between the two countries this week.

On Friday, the Japanese exchange group will go watch an American football game as the James River Knights take on the team from Buffalo Gap.

We had a previous post about the Japanese exchange on Sept. 16.