Long Beach-Yokkaichi Sister City Association
Founded in 1963
MISSION STATEMENT
“To create rapport between the cities by exchanging cultural, civic and educational ideas and issues and to promote better understanding and friendship between the United States and Japan.”
Dr. John E. Kashiwabara Tree Planting Event
On Saturday, February 7, 2015 the Port of Long Beach’s funded program, I Dig Long Beach, a project aimed to plant 6,000 Trees by 2020: A Plan to Improve Air Quality in Long Beach, held the Dr. John E. Kashiwabara Memorial Tree Planting event. The Long Beach Neighborhood Services helped organize the event to plant 70 trees along Pacific Avenue near 33rd streets in memory of Dr. John Kashiwabara, an active Long Beach community leader and one of the founding members of the Long Beach-Yokkaichi Sister City Association.
Dr. John, as he is fondly remembered, was a family physician involved in many civic organizations such as, The Boys and Girls Club of Long Beach, the 49ers Athletic Association, Long Beach City College Foundation, Long Beach Century Club, the Downtown Long Beach Lions Club, The California Conference for Equality and Justice, and the Long Beach Area Chamber of Commerce. He was the first Japanese American to serve on the Long Beach Board of Harbor Commissioners and the California State University Board of Trustees. In 1998 was made an honorary citizen of Yokkaichi, Japan.
About 100 volunteers--many of whom were students--grabbed shovels, water buckets and gloves and planted crepe myrtle trees along Pacific Avenue and around the Wrigley area neighborhood.
Thank you for the following sponsors and volunteers for a fun day!
Port of Long Beach
Wrigley is Going Green
Wrigley Association
Earl Burns Miller Japanese Gardens, CSULB
Downtown Long Beach Lions Club
The California Conference for Equality and Justice
Century Club
Long Beach Community Foundation
Milikan G.R.E.E.N. Academy
Orange County’s Credit Union
Pack 21, Long Beach Area Council
Neighborhood Leadership Program Alumni
Long Beach Polytechnic High School
Long Beach-Yokkaichi Sister City Association
Molina Healthcare, Inc.
Hughes Green Team
Long Beach City College Viking Volunteers
City of Long Beach, Office of Sustainability
City of Long Beach, Department of Public Works
WHO WAS DR. JOHN E. KASHIWABARA?
Dr. John (11/30/1921-1/16/2010) was one of the founding members of LBYSCA (see LBYSCA History page). He was a leader in the community and instrumental in establishing the Doctors Program.
Dr. John Kashiwabara’s family members.
