No.135 Visit to Foster City

This time, we organized a sister city visit tour sponsored by the Inagi City Sister and Friendship Cities Exchange Association, solicited participants, and visited Foster City.

Last October, a delegation of 33 people from Foster City visited Japan for two days at the "I no Machi Inagi Citizens' Festival." Although it was a forced schedule of 5 days and 3 nights from February 4, a delegation of 11 people went to the United States.

On the first day, after arriving at San Francisco airport, I changed to a bus and arrived in Foster City in about 20 minutes. When I checked into the hotel and headed to the first place I visited, Beach Park Elementary School, a large number of citizens had already gathered to welcome me. This elementary school is the newest school in the city, opened in 2020. As soon as we arrived, the junior high school brass band gave us a welcome performance, we were handed headphones for simultaneous interpretation, and the principal personally showed us around the school. Not only are the educational programs and teaching methods different from Japan, but the school facilities are also quite different. To my surprise, there was a classroom dedicated to Lego blocks. This time, elementary school students from four schools in the city explained the life at each school, and we received many gifts such as pictures drawn by the children.

Next, we headed to the lagoon in the city center for a boat ride to see the houses of the city. This area is said to be an area where successful people in Silicon Valley move to, and housing prices have risen beyond compare since I visited 7 years ago.

On the first night, we had a welcome party. At my table were Mayor John Frumin, the new president of the Foster City Sister City Association David Saito and his wife, as well as the Consul General of San Francisco, Mr. and Mrs. Noguchi. They were very conscious of what we had when we welcomed the people of Foster City in October last year, and the structure was roughly the same. We are very pleased to hear that you appreciate our hospitality. I gave a speech of thanks in English.

At the welcome party, I was also able to meet Mr. Evan Adams himself, who manages the Facebook group "Foster City Together," which I also participate in. Also, I was able to meet Sanjay Gehani, the mayor of the city who signed the sister city affiliation online two years ago, and I was able to shake hands with him directly instead of through the monitor.

On the second day, an exchange meeting with citizens of Foster City was held at the Leo J. Ryan Park Recreation Center (a facility similar to the cultural center of Inagi City) facing the lagoon. First, children aged 14 to 17 introduced Foster City and their school life. These children are pen pals who correspond with the Inagi children via e-mail. Moderated by Mr. David Saito, the participants asked questions about their dreams and what they hoped to achieve through interaction with Inagi City. It was impressive that all the children had a firm way of thinking and spoke out lively, and they seemed particularly interested in Japanese culture and traditions.

Then we exchange gifts with each other. Mayor Froomin gave us custom-made street signs. "Inagi City" is printed on the front, and "Takahashi BLVD" is printed on the back. As a gift from Inagi City, I gave Mayor Frumin a hanging scroll with a motif of Japanese mythology. Kuniko Onishi, a painter who is also a member of the Sister and Friendship Cities Exchange Association, drew this work on the theme of the kagura of Anazawa Tenjin Shrine. I chose I gave it to them while explaining it in English, and they seemed to be very interested in it. In addition, Mayor Frumin, Mr. David Saito, and Mr. Steve Okamoto, former president of the sister city association, were delighted to receive a figure of Nashinosuke Inagi and an original photo book depicting the beautiful four seasons of Inagi. In addition, the Sister and Friendship Cities Association presented Foster City citizens with Gundam tote bags and Inagi sweets.

Next, it was lunch time, but the sliced steak sandwiches and salads were not made by the cook, but were handmade by members of the Foster City Rotary Club for us, which surprised us. was.

In the second half of the exchange meeting, the music teacher who was guiding the junior high school students who had hosted the chorus last night performed today with an orchestra. Japanese junior high schools have brass band clubs, but I don't think there are many that have orchestral activities.

Although I stayed in Foster City for only two days, I received a truly heartfelt hospitality, and everyone saw me off the bus at the end.

Foster City citizens visited Inagi City in October last year, and Inagi citizens visited Foster City City this time, and mutual citizen exchanges began. In July of this year, boys and girls from Foster City's soccer team are planning to visit Inagi City, and we are currently in discussions with Mr. David Saito. In the future, I hope that it will lead to the mutual exchange of children in both cities, which is the original purpose.