Japanese sister city student delegation makes bi-annual visit to Olympia this week

Students from Olympia’s sister city of Katō, Japan will visit this week, and this year’s visit will include Gov. Toshizo Ido of Japan’s Hyōgo Prefecture.

According to the Olympia-Katō Sister City Association, the friendship between Olympia and Katō (then Yashiro) began in April 1981. As a result of their union, since 1987, groups of 15 to 20 high school students have trekked across the globe to visit each others’ cities, stay in host homes, and explore schools and local sites.

Students from Katō are set to arrive Wednesday and spend just over a week in Olympia. Their itinerary is extensive, including a tour of city hall with Olympia Mayor Cheryl Selby, a trip to Yashiro Gardens, lunch at the Olympia Farmers Market, and day trips to Tacoma and Seattle.

Unique to this year’s exchange is Ido’s visit. He is coming to commemorate the 55th anniversary of Washington and Hyōgo’s Sister State relationship.

Olympia and Katō’s friendship is one of many formed through Sister Cities International, which was created by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1956. The non-profit organization aims to foster “a more peaceful world through people-to-people exchanges and initiatives,” according to the organization’s website.

The city of Katō was chosen to be a sister city to Olympia not only because of it’s importance to Hyōgo Prefecture, but because of its similarity to the capital’s industry, population and climate.