No.151 Foster City Little League (FCLL) Comes to Inagi

On August 3rd, a total of 41 people, including 12 Little League players (boys aged 10 to 12) and 29 coaches, parents or guardians from our Sister City Foster City, visited Inagi City.

The exchange with Foster City began when I, along with two accompanying staff members, visited Foster City in August 2015 as part of an inspection for the Sister City partnership. In January 2017, three members of the Inagi City Overseas Sister City Examination Citizens' Council and one accompanying staff member conducted a local inspection. In October 2019, former Foster City Council member Steve Okamoto and his wife, who expressed a strong desire for a Sister City partnership with our city, visited during the Citizen Festival.

Since the signing of the Sister City partnership in July 2021, a delegation of 33 members from the Foster City Sister City Association visited Inagi in October 2022. In December of the same year, Mr. David Saito, the president of the Foster City Sister City Association, visited Inagi to discuss future exchanges for children. In February of last year, a tour organized by the Inagi City Sister Friendship City Exchange Association was held, and 11 residents of Inagi City, including myself, visited Foster City.

Through the interactions of these adults, in July of last year, we welcomed a youth soccer team, marking the first step towards the original goal of international exchange for the children of both cities.

This visit of FCLL to Inagi is the second installment. Mr. Steve Okamoto, the first president of the Exchange Association, and Mr. Sanjay Gehani, the former mayor who is leading this visit, are both experienced in baseball and are involved in coaching children in the sport. Both cities are active in sports, but baseball is particularly a major sport in America, often referred to as the national pastime, and both of them have been eager for this exchange, so I am also very happy that their dream has finally come true.

The FCLL group arrived individually in Japan, gathered on August 2 to watch a Giants game at Tokyo Dome, and arrived in Inagi City at noon on the 3rd, where we held a welcome reception at the Community Promotion Plaza.

Former Mayor Sanjei Gehani greeted us in Japanese, and there was a short speech from FCLL players that included some Japanese. From Inagi City, 13 elementary and junior high school students welcomed everyone with an English welcome speech, and after the exchange of commemorative gifts, the Inagi Boys and Girls Choir presented a Japanese song.

FCLL participants enjoyed the Omaru Bon Odori held that evening and experienced Japanese traditional culture.

On the 4th, at the gymnasium of Inagi Sixth Elementary School, players from FCLL and Inagi Little received special coaching from the Yomiuri Giants Academy, and in the afternoon, a friendly match was held at the Inagi Little Ground, which I also had the pleasure of watching.

The pitcher for FCLL is Mr. Sanjay Gehani's son, who is in the 6th grade of elementary school and stands about 170 cm tall. There are also other players who could easily be mistaken for junior high school students. There is a considerable size difference compared to the players from Inagi Little, but for FCLL, the strike zone seemed quite narrow, making it look difficult to pitch. Right after the game started, the Inagi Little kids seemed nervous and couldn't make plays that led to scoring, but as they got used to it, I think it turned into a good match. It was truly a fun game to watch, a battle of baseball vs. baseball.

FCLL members enjoyed watching the Giants game in the Eastern League at the Giants Stadium from the evening.

On the final day of our stay in Inagi, on the 5th, we held a Japan-U.S. mixed exchange match at Inagi Little Ground from the morning. The exchange match the day before ended dramatically. In the final inning, with Inagi Little leading by 2 points at 6 to 4, FCLL had no outs and the bases loaded, creating a desperate situation for Inagi Little. After the following batters were retired in order, the game was set, and the FCLL players shed tears of regret.

However, it seems that in the final Japan-U.S. mixed exchange match, they were able to have a friendly farewell match, which became a good memory for both sides.

After the final match, we held a lunch meeting at the Comprehensive Gymnasium restaurant, hosted a farewell party in the meeting room, and saw off the bus on the way home.

As for exchanges from next year onwards, a short-term study abroad program through homestays is planned for high school students in Inagi, and I hope that one day baseball or soccer teams can travel to the United States to compete with the children of Foster City.