The New Years party was held on January 23, 2004, at Kyoto Tower Hotel, and was attended by AKP students, host families, staff and faculty, and Doshisha University faculty. (Ian, Maurice, Zara, Florence, Melissa, Christine, Janet and Eliza in their party wear.)

Tinapa and Andrew posing

Alicia and Eliza

Jeff and his host mother

Hanna and Megan MCing.

Hubbard Sensei, the Resident Director giving her opening speech.

Christine greeting everyone on behalf of the students.

Janet and her host father.

Dorie and her host mother

Lisa and her host parents

Liza and her host family

Aaron and his host family

Jonathan and his host mother

Erin and her family

The Hubbard Senseis

Satake-san and Carmen

Satake-san and Carmen did a duet on Koto and Shamisen.

David and Nicholas also performed,

as did Sarah and Megan

and Zara and Carmen.

Lisa, Ito Sensei and Jeff

Jeff, Will, Josh and Jonathan

Joo, Yang and Andrew

Dorie, Carmen, Hubbard Sensei and Suzie

Tzvetomira, Satake-san and Nishimura-san

At the end of the evening, it was group photo time . . .

It seems to have taken awhile for everyone to make it on stage,

but eventually, the group got so big, it was photographed in two sections!

And why were they all smiling? What were they looking at?