Building upon the momentum around international partnerships from the East Bay Global Forum in September, East Bay EDA joined a delegation of regional leaders for the first-ever U.S.-Japan Sister Cities Summit in Izumisano, Osaka, Japan. The four-day conference, hosted by Sister Cities International, commemorated the 170th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Japan and the United States. It was attended by more than 550 people from 96 U.S. cities and 48 Japanese cities. Participants include Japanese and American exchange organizations, local government officials, sister city representatives, civic groups, and young leaders.
Alameda County proudly has five (5) Japanese sister city relationships – Berkeley – Sakai, Fremont – Fukuya, Hayward – Funabashi, Livermore – Yotsukaido, Oakland – Fukuoka. Of these relationships, the Oakland–Fukuoka relationship is one of the most active, noted as Oakland’s oldest sister city relationship and one of the longest-standing relationships in the East Bay, formed in 1962. The Oakland Fukuoka Sister City Association hosts annual events, including youth and adult exchange programs, the Ostukimi Moon Viewing Party, as well as Holiday and New Year’s parties. Contra Costa County also has a few sister city relationships with Japan, including Antioch – Chichibu, Richmond – Shimada, and Walnut Creek – Kita Ward, Tokyo.
The overarching theme of the Japan conference was “Celebrating our Legacies, Empowering our Futures,” and each day’s programming focused on sub-themes, including to honor, bridge, reimagine, and empower. The keynote and panel presentations highlighted notable connections, including the story of the Kamone boat, a Japanese high school fishing boat that was pushed out to sea during the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami and washed ashore in Crescent City, California, two years later, creating an unforgettable bond between the students and people of both cities. This grassroots partnership that began with students has expanded to impact business collaborations through SeaQuake Brewing and Rumiano Cheese Company, as well as government-involved infrastructure and innovation projects.
Day three of the conference was notable as participants were able to explore the 2025 Osaka World Expo, touring the Japan Pavilion and the USA Pavilion. Ambassador William E. Grayson, Commissioner General for the USA Pavilion, welcomed our group and shared about the kick-off of the American250 celebration.
Closing out the summit was Secretary Henry Cisneros, who received an award for a lifetime of service to U.S.-Japan relations. Numerous other officials from Japan and the US joined the summit, emphasizing the importance of the US-Japan relationship and the desire to further exchanges on all levels of the relationship, from grassroots student exchanges to international trade and business partnerships.
Click here to view video recaps of Day 1 and Day 2 & 3.