They are the first students of the USA's first accredited Japanese high school, Tennessee Meiji Gakuin - TMG for short.

``I hope the school comes through like gangbusters,'' says Nashville singer Butch Baker, a Sweetwater native and TMI alum. Baker brought his band to play country boogie at TMG's grand opening - where Japanese and American guests ate sushi and pork barbecue from paper plates ... with chopsticks, of course. CUTLINE:HEAD OF THE CLASS: Teacher Yuichi Nakajima instructs students at TMG - Tennessee Meiji Gakuin. CUTLINE:BETTER PREPARATION: [Keiko Furugori], 15, is one of the students attending the USA's first accredited Japanese high school.

GRAPHIC;b/w,J.L. Albert,USA TODAY(Map,Tennessee);PHOTO;b/w,Joe Stewardson(FP,Schools,Yuichi Nakajima,F2);PHOTO;b/w,Joe Stewardson(FP,Schools,Keiko Furugori,F2)