Students from Japan Visit West Bloomfield Library

The universal language of pizza brought together students from Japan and West Bloomfield Wednesday, at the township library.

Eight teens from Awaji City, Japan included a day in West Bloomfield as part of a U.S. tour. They shared a pizza lunch at the library with members of the West Bloomfield High Japanese Club, then took a nature hike and were guests of honor at a cookout at Marshbank Park. The group will also visit the Ford Rouge Factory in Dearborn.

The Awaji City library and West Bloomfield library were paired as "sisters" in 1999, through the White House Millennium Project.

"The Japanese people living in the area, plus our West Bloomfield residents benefit from the cultural exchange that we think enriches the community," library director Clara Bohrer said.