"It's going to be so much fun."
As for the language, she and Paige, 12, had been practising every chance they got and had a Japanese/English dictionary to help them, Rosa said.
"We'll have a book in our bag ready to help us if we need it."
Paige is hoping to catch up with a young Japanese girl, Kaoru, whom her family hosted in Masterton two years ago when her sister Holly was involved with the exchange.
"I'd really like to see her again," she said.
Teacher Juliet Olson said the exchange was the longest running one in New Zealand with Japanese students being hosted by the school for 19 years and Masterton students reciprocating for the past 13 years.
"It's a cultural experience with our sister school. The kids love it and the teachers love it."
Children at the school applied to go and if chosen had to each raise $3200.
The school helped by arranging events like a golf tournament, quiz night, sausage sizzles and the car boot sale and each of the 23 chosen to go arranged their own fundraising ventures like selling pumpkins, sheep manure and other things, Ms Olson said.
"Some of them already have $2000," she said. "It's up to each individual. They sell everything and anything."
