David Oshiro recalled the nervous feeling he had just before he and the rest of the Roosevelt High School Marching Band set out down Midosuji Boulevard in Osaka for Japan's largest parade.

But once it all started, the nerves just melted away, he said.

"One or two people were giving the shaka signs back at us and at a certain intersection people were holding welcome signs," Oshiro said.

About 88 members of the Roosevelt High band returned Saturday from a weeklong trip to Japan where they participated in the Midosuji Parade — comparable to the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York. The parade claims 10,000 participants and more than 1 million spectators. Roosevelt was one of two bands representing the U.S.

The students said it was an experience they won't soon forget.

"All the time we spent together — we're closer now," said Oshiro, a 17-year-old senior.

The 2-mile-long parade was the highlight of the trip for most of the students. After all, it was the reason they went, Oshiro said. But for other students, the trip became a time to discover their cultural roots.

Sarah Taketa, 14, said just being in Japan and visiting the many different sites is what stands out in her mind.

"It was exciting and overwhelming," Taketa said.

While this was her first trip with the Roosevelt marching band, there will likely be more to come. This was the fifth trip the band has made to Japan during band director Gregg Abe's 21-year tenure at the school. The band has also made several trips to festivals and parades on the Mainland, including the Macy's parade in 2003.

Preparation for this trip began a year and a half ago with planning and fundraising for the $2,200-per-student cost, Abe said.

The band also practiced extensively during the summer and as the school year began to prepare for the trip.

"It took a lot of commitment on everyone's part," Taketa said. "But it really paid off."

The day after the Oct. 9 parade, the students participated in a cultural exchange with other bands and groups from around the world.

"We traded items with a group from Russia, took pictures with a group from Japan," Oshiro said. "It was just a great experience to meet so many different people."

In addition to Osaka, the students toured Kyoto, Tokyo, Mount Fuji and Hakone, Abe said.

Taketa, a freshman, said she looks forward to many more trips with the band. But for Oshiro, this was his last trip before he graduates.

"This is something that will leave a lasting impression on us," he said.

Reach Loren Moreno at lmoreno@honoluluadvertiser.com.