Sister city friendships span the test of time

A delegation of students, educators and city leaders from Japan will arrive in Camas on Saturday.

The group from the town of Taki, sister city to Camas, will spend five days in the area. In addition to 20 middle school students, the delegation will be led by Taki Mayor Yukio Kubo, and will include a high school principal, an English teacher, city clerk, travel guide, and an interpreter.

During their visit, the Taki students will stay with Liberty and Skyridge middle school families. The youth, 12 boys and eight girls, will spend time attending classes at both Camas schools and take tours of the city’s facilities and Fort Vancouver. There will also be local outings with the host families.

The visit is being organized through the Camas Sister City Organization, in collaboration with Camas schools, the City of Camas, and families and individuals in the community. Sister City Organization chairpersons Ken and LaDene Mattson said they are excited to welcome another group from Japan.

“We are looking forward to the visit,” said Ken Mattson. “The visitors, and their Camas hosts enjoy these ‘person-to-person,’ ‘student-to-student’ contacts. The visits broaden our horizons, and are fun. The sister city activities continue to flourish and touch lives.”

While in Camas, Mayor Kubo will meet with Mayor Scott Higgins and Sister City Organization leaders, in addition to taking a tour of the city and the WaferTech semiconductor facility in Camas.

“We are honored by the visit by our friends from Taki-cho,” Higgins said. “Meeting with Mayor Kubo in person will strengthen our sister cities’ partnership, and the long-standing community friendship.”

The public is invited to a welcoming reception for the Taki officials Monday evening at the Camas Public Library.

The relationship between Taki-cho and Camas was established in the mid-1990s, when it became Camas’ second Japanese Sister City. It was initiated by the Sharp corporation, which has had facilities in Camas on Northwest Pacific Rim Drive for the past two decades and also a major facility in Taki.

The first Camas Sister City relationship was established with Hosoe, Japan more than 30 years ago.

A delegation of eight adults from Camas will travel to Hosoe, Taki and Kyoto in November to commemorate the 31-year anniversary of the establishment of the sister city friendship