Next month, four Mainers will make the trip to Tokyo to compete in the 9th Shotokan Karate International Federation (SKIF) World Championships.

There, they will join thousands of karate students from more than 80 countries for a week of competition. A week earlier, Farmington sensei (master) Mike Cook, and students Lisa Turner, Michele Farwell and Alison Chakoumakos plan to travel around Japan, sightseeing and meeting some of Cook’s former students.

While Cook and Turner have been before, it’ll be Chakoumakos’ first time in Japan. “I just can’t wait,” she said Thursday. “I’m just so excited – to eat the food, and drink the tea – it’s all going to be great.”

Turner visited Japan with her family for six weeks when she was 6 years old. She was there at the same time as the Beatles, she said. “Now, I will appreciate the shrines – before, the biggest thing I remember is being able to see these very small deer,” she said. “I saw through a child’s eye before.”

She’s trying to learn a few words in Japanese before she goes.