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.”

Yokkaichi Mayor Mori and Delegation  Visited Long Beach to Celebrate the 55th Commemorative Sister City Association  on August 8-14, 2018.

In celebration of the 55th Anniversary of the Long Beach-Yokkaichi Sister City Association (LBYSCA), a delegation from Yokkaichi, Japan including Mayor Tomohiro Mori arrived in Long Beach on Thursday, August 9th.   Mayor Mori’s Delegation also included 14 Yokkaichi citizens who have hosted Long Beach high school students and chaperones in their homes as part of the Trio cultural exchange programs sponsored by LBYSCA.  His delegation of the ex-Trio host families arrived in Los Angeles on August 8 and toured the Los Angeles area ahead of the Mayor’s group.

Mayor Mori and six Yokkaichi senior city officials met with Mayor Robert Garcia on Thursday afternoon, August 9 at the city hall.  They enjoyed a tour of the LB Port, sharing a commitment to “green” port operations with the Port of Long Beach, its Sister Port.  Yokkaichi is Japan’s 10^th largest port.  The delegation was met by Mayor Robert Garcia, Tyler Curley, and LBYSCA board members, including Mike Vaughn, Jeanette Schelin, Jeanne and Hideo Karatsu and Yoko Pusavat, at a welcome dinner at Winston’s aboard the Queen Mary.

“This is a major milestone in the relationship between Long Beach and Yokkaichi”, said Yoko Pusavat, LBYSCA president. “The two cities have maintained an impressive annual calendar of cultural exchange and educational programs since the Association’s inception in 1963.  It is a remarkable achievement and we are excited to receive the delegation and reciprocate the warm hospitality they extended to Mayor Garcia and Port Commissioners during their visit to Yokkaichi last summer in 2017.” (Refer to our    LBYSCA Newsletter January 2018 for more on the visit.)

Planned activities for the visitors from Yokkaichi included meetings at California State University, Long Beach (CSULB) to focus on development of additional educational partnerships with the Dean of the College of Continuing and Professional Education (CCPE), Jeet Joshi and Associate Dean and Executive Director of the International Center for International Education, Terrence Graham. A campus tour and lunch at the Earl Burns Miller Japanese Garden, the official Long Beach-Yokkaichi Sister City Garden, included planting a Ginkyo Tree of Friendship.  Provost Brian Jersky, representing CSULB, participated in the tree planting and extended a warm welcome to the delegation.

A visit to the Aquarium of the Pacific (AoP) highlighted AoP collaborations with CSULB Professor Wade Martin, Executive Director of the Institute of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, in the areas of the environment, sustainability and business development.  The ex host family delegation also enjoyed a guided tour at the Aop.

A commemorative banquet on Friday night on August 10, sponsored in part by the Port of Long Beach, featured entertainment by LBYSCA alumnus, Gage Hulsey and his Hedgehog Swing Band, a popular local band.  Current high school students in the LBYSCA Environmental Summit attended the banquet, having just returned from Japan.  Alumni of other programs and LBYSCA partners from LBUSD, CSULB, Miller Hospital and the City of Long Beach enjoyed an evening of friendship and cultural exchange.  Mayors Robert Garcia and Tomohiro Mori spoke on their continued commitment to this long-standing and successful Sister City partnership, signing a memorandum along with Sister City Association President Yoko Pusavat.

On Saturday, a city tour featuring innovative business development and local neighborhood volunteer projects preceded a visit to the Michele Obama Library.  Glenda Williams, Director of Long Beach Public Library Services, met the delegation to showcase innovations at the library including a demonstration garden and state of the art technology.  Mayor Mori expressed a keen interest in this tour as Yokkaichi was developing plans for its own new library. 

Our programs are focused on developing youth leadership for a global community. The Association invites Long Beach parents and youth with an interest in leadership, international education, environmental science and policy, and cultural exchange to visit www.longbeach-yokkaichi.org and to learn more about the cultural and educational programs and volunteer opportunities.