The 2026 FIFA World Cup brought millions of people together across North America. It also brought one familiar face back to Vacaville.
Akihiro Nishio, a former exchange student from Japan who graduated from Vacaville High School in 1996, reunited with his host family this summer for the first time in 30 years after traveling to the Bay Area to serve as a safety and security officer for the World Cup.
“I cried, we all cried,” Nishio said of the reunion. “Especially my host parents, who are almost 80. I said ‘I’m thankful to see you.’”
It’s only fitting that the World Cup brought Nishio back to his old stomping grounds.
Nishio played for the Vacaville High soccer team during his lone year as a Bulldog. Although he spoke little English, soccer served as a universal language that helped him build friendships.
“It was the best tool to become a member of the community. I was a striker, so when I scored, I was like a hero,” he said. “People came to my matches, and when I scored, they remembered my name and knew who I was. The next day, many people would talk to me.”
One of those friendships proved vital.
After Nishio’s arrangement with his original host family wasn’t working out, he considered returning to Japan after just a few months in Vacaville. Instead, soccer teammate Kevin Davis invited Nishio to stay with his family.
Nishio’s exchange year nearly fell through when the arrangement with his original host family wasn’t working out. Instead, soccer teammate Kevin Davis invited Nishio to stay with his family.
“I just randomly asked my parents if he could stay with us, and they’re like, ‘Okay,’ because they knew him from soccer,” Davis said. “He lived with us and we were taking him to Tahoe, going up to the North Coast, going down to San Luis Obispo. He was a part of the family.”
Davis’ request wasn’t completely out of the blue. His parents, Thomas and Christy, were teachers who had previously hosted exchange students from countries including Japan and Sri Lanka.
“My older brother was away at college, so my parents were used to having three boys in the house,” Davis said. “He just fit in normally.”
Nishio never forgot the family that made him feel at home.
“They gave me a chance to keep staying in the U.S.,” Nishio said. “That’s why I had to come back and say thank you.”
Kevin Davis (left) and Akihiro Nishio (right) recreate a photo they took 30 years ago. (Courtesy photos)
But after Nishio returned to Japan in June 1996, he lost touch with the Davis family. That changed last year, when he correctly guessed that Davis became a teacher in the Bay Area and tracked down his school email address.
“I wrote in the email, ‘I am Aki who was an exchange student in your house 30 years ago. Do you remember me?’” Nishio said.
How could Davis forget?
“I was walking into my son’s school performance and randomly checked my school email. I was like, ‘There’s no way this is real,’” Davis said. “It’s still one of those things I have a hard time believing actually happened.”
The two stayed in touch through FaceTime and messages before Nishio was assigned to Levi’s Stadium for the World Cup, giving him the perfect reason to visit Vacaville.
Their long-awaited reunion included a trip back to Vacaville High, where the former Bulldog teammates reminisced about where their friendship began. Nishio said many of his memories came rushing back.
“I clearly remembered the days in high school, especially English lessons that were very hard,” Nishio said with a laugh. “Shakespeare was a nightmare.”
Nishio also made time to visit his favorite fast-food chain, In-N-Out, with Thomas, Christy and his younger host brother, Paul.
“There’s no In-N-Out in Japan, it’s so sad,” he said with a laugh. “I really missed that burger.”
Nishio was especially longing to reunite with his host family after facing a severe brain condition in 2022 that left him on “the brink of death.” He said the experience changed his perspective on life.
“It taught me every moment in this world is very important,” Nishio said.
Now reunited, both families are already looking ahead to their next visit.
“I’m definitely looking forward to getting out to Japan,” Davis said. “One of my good buddies just went out there and everyone’s raving about it, so now I have a great excuse.”
“I have to bring my daughter and my wife to San Francisco and Vacaville,” Nishio added.