Six Japanese teen-agers, two chaperones and a translator will be visiting Chelsea March 28 through April 3 as part of the Sister Cities Exchange Program between Chelsea and Shimizu in northern Japan.

The group will stay with host families in Chelsea to learn firsthand about life in America.

The teens will tour the area with their hosts. Since their visit coincides with spring break, Chelsea students also will be able to join in the activities.

An opening ceremony and potluck dinner is planned for 5:30 p.m. March 28, when the group arrives in Michigan after visiting Washington, D.C.

Over the weekend, parents are planning a country hayride party and bonfire.

Activities for the remainder of the visitors’ week will include tours of the Arctic Coliseum, Chelsea Lanes, the schools and library.

A day will be set aside to visit Ann Arbor, with tours planned of a preschool, Michigan Stadium, the University of Michigan campus, the Hands-On Museum, as well as time for shopping.

They also will visit Henry Ford Museum and Fairlane Mall in Dearborn.

The Sister Cities Exchange Program began when Brian Oakley, a 1986 graduate of Chelsea High School, taught English at the middle school in Shimizu. Oakley was struck by the similarity between the two towns and the surrounding agricultural lands, and proposed the idea of an exchange program to the superintendent of schools.

In 1993, Oakley visited Chelsea with two officials of the Shimizu school board. The following October, the first students arrived from Japan.

Since that time, a group of young people have visited Chelsea in October, staying with host families while being exposed to the American way of life, from breakfast cereals to backyard cookouts to hanging out at the mall.

This will be the first visit from Japanese students since the October 2001 visit was canceled in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

Chelsea students have visited Shimizu in June each year.

Martin Bragalone, Margy Brill, Greg Daniel, Liz Gunden and Heather Neff, who all visited Japan last year, will host some of this year’s visitors.

Allison Frayer and Chrissy Widmayer, who visited Japan in 2001, will also host students, as well Liz Spencer, who will be visiting Japan with Chelsea’s group this summer.

For information on the program, visit the Web site www.Chelsea-Shimizu.org.