No.115 Sister city tie-up ceremony with Foster City

The city will conclude its first overseas sister city affiliation on July 27, 2021. The other party is a city named "Foster City" belonging to San Mateo County, California, USA.
Originally, we should have traveled to the United States or visited Japan from the other side to hold the signing ceremony, but due to the ongoing impact of the new coronavirus infection, this time we will use the web conference system. A signing ceremony is scheduled.

Progress so far
This topic first came up seven years ago in 2014. At the time, the city of Foster City was looking for a partner, led by Mr. Okamoto, a Japanese-American city council member, with the aim of forming a sister city relationship with a foreign country. This story was conveyed to the consul at the Consulate General of Japan in San Francisco. This consul was an official dispatched by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications and previously lived in Wakabadai. Foster City is a new town created by reclaiming land from the sea, and he felt that it had something in common with Inagi City from his experience of actually seeing the townscape with its rich natural environment and a living environment where people are enthusiastic about education and sports. , I introduced it to Mr. Okamoto, and he showed great interest, so it all started.
This story was also conveyed to me, and discussions between the two cities began. In the mayoral election held in April 2015, I made an overseas sister city partnership a campaign promise, and after I was elected, in August 2015, I visited the city to see if it was a suitable city for a partnership. We were welcomed by Mr. Okamoto and many other citizens, and we confirmed that we were the perfect partner.
After returning to Japan, in October 2015, we established the ``Inagi City Citizens' Council for Overseas Sister Cities Study'' and in June 2016, we established the ``Inagi City Citizens' Council for Overseas Sister Cities Study'', with the participation of many citizen committee members. We had a lively discussion. In January 2017, representatives from the Citizens' Council conducted a site visit and received a report, which led to the conclusion that Foster City was a suitable candidate city.
The citizens' meeting stated that it is necessary for citizens to have sister cities overseas as a place where they can have wonderful dreams, that overseas sister cities should be affiliated with each other, that Foster City should be the candidate site, and that exchange projects include education and other activities. It is necessary to compile a proposal based on the idea that it is a good idea to start in the field of sports, and also to establish a citizen-led organization that will be responsible for exchanges with overseas sister cities and domestic sister cities and friendship cities. We received the following opinions.
Based on this proposal, the city established the "Inagi City Sister Cities/Friendship Cities Exchange Association Establishment Preparation Committee" in September 2017, and in March 2019, established the purpose, role, personnel, and organizational structure of the exchange association. We received a proposal regarding this matter.
In response to this proposal, we established the "Inagi City Sister and Friendship City Exchange Association Management Preparation Committee" in July 2019, and held the inaugural general meeting of the "Inagi City Sister and Friendship City Exchange Association" on September 27, 2020. The main body of the exchange project has just been launched.
Although a very long time has passed, I am overwhelmed with emotion that the exchange association was established with the participation of so many citizens, and that we were able to safely conclude the signing ceremony with Foster City City.I would like to thank everyone who has been involved during this time. Thank you very much.
Prior to this signing ceremony, some junior high schools were already holding online meetings using the web conferencing system, but children can still socialize without hesitation, just like in sister cities and friendship cities in Japan. I hope it becomes like that.

Foster City City Introduction
The city is located south of San Francisco International Airport, about 25 minutes by car, and faces the San Francisco Bay. Established on April 27, 1971, this beautiful waterfront new town was developed by reclaiming the bay from 1958 to create a lagoon and devising a waterside environment.
It has an area of ​​about 9.7 square kilometers of land and about 41.7 square kilometers of water, and has a population of 30,567 according to the 2010 census. Residents are 45.5% Caucasian, 45.0% Asian, 1.9% African, and others.
It is a residential area in the bay area where employees of IT companies such as ORACLE located from the southern part of San Mateo County to the northern part of Silicon Valley and expatriates of Japanese companies live.
Baseball is said to be America's national sport, and baseball is popular in Foster City as well.

Relationship between Inagi City and Foster City
Inagi City and Foster City City are both new towns in the suburbs of large cities, but there are other things they have in common.
Inagi City changed from a town to a city in 1971, and this year marks the 50th anniversary of its establishment as a municipality. Same age city.
Foster City is home to the MLB San Francisco Giants, and Inagi is the hometown of the professional baseball team Yomiuri Giants, both of which are Giants Towns.
The fact that our two cities, separated by the Pacific Ocean, met with such a common denominator was due to some sort of fate, and I hope that this meaningful relationship will continue for many years to come.