ASHLAND – An annual tradition is only growing in its ninth year, as a record 33 Japanese students from the Morinomiya College of Medical Arts and Sciences arrived in Ashland on Monday to attend Southern Oregon University's sports medicine seminar.

The college, founded in 1973 and located in Osaka, Japan, has sent students to SOU's seminar every year since 2004. They will remain in Ashland for 10 days to learn about sports medicine practices in the United States.

Lecturers at this year's seminar include various medical professionals, including athletic trainers from SOU, Oregon Tech and North Medford High School, along with physical therapists and orthopedic physicians from the Rogue Valley.

During their stay, the 33 students will also have the opportunity to tour the Rogue Valley, with scheduled highlights including a Hellgate Jetboat in Grants Pass and a trip to Crater Lake National Park.

Each year, the group has made generous donations to the SOU athletic department to help purchase new equipment for the athletic training room.