A BIG backyard to play in and a relaxed lifestyle are just some of the things that have appealed to the Deguchi family since moving to Warrnambool 19 years ago.
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Yuichi and Kaori Deguchi were living in Melbourne when Mr Deguchi landed a job teaching Japanese in the south-west. They moved to Warrnambool and never left.
“I was looking for a job when I finished my DipEd in Melbourne and other cities, but I couldn’t find (one). I just happened to find (this one),” Mr Deguchi said.
The welcoming community and many friends are some of the reasons they have stayed and had their children Sarasa, 12, and Minami, 10, here.
“We didn’t expect that. We thought we’d stay a couple of years and go back to Melbourne,” he said.
“It’s comfortable and we’ve made a lot of friends here so that’s the main thing,” Mrs Deguchi said.
“We have a big enough backyard for kids and our Melbourne friends they complain and say ‘oh you have a big backyard and we don’t have’,” Mr Deguchi said.
He said homes in Osaka in Japan, where they’re from, were “much, much smaller” and it was nice to have the open space here.
The family enjoys going to the beach in summer and visiting Lake Pertobe.
Sarasa plays violin for the Warrnambool Sym-phony Orchestra and enjoys swimming and Minami likes riding his bike and plays in a weekly soccer competition.
Mr Deguchi teaches Japanese at six Catholic primary schools in Port Fairy, Koroit and Warrnambool while the children have embraced both Australian and Japanese culture.
mmcneil@fairfaxmedia.com.au
