Japanese “Sister City” Students Visiting Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey on March 6
Visit is Part of a Cultural Exchange with Southwest High School

Minneapolis (Mar. 5, 2018) – Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey will host 13 Japanese students and two teachers at City Hall on Tuesday, March 6, at 9 a.m. The students attend Kasugaoka High School in Ibaraki City, Japan, one of 12 cities around the world connected to Minneapolis through its Sister Cities program, administered by Meet Minneapolis. The visit is part of an exchange program Southwest High School, in Minneapolis, has facilitated with high schools in Ibaraki City since 1997.

In addition to spending time with Mayor Frey, Kasugaoka students will shadow their host students, as well as visit Japanese classes at the University of Minnesota and St. Anthony Middle School in Minneapolis. The week-long visit will also feature tours of the Minnesota State Capitol, Minnesota History Museum and other iconic sites in the Twin Cities.

“Not only will this exchange open each participant’s eyes, it also influences the larger student body in each school,” said Southwest High School teacher Kyoko French. “Participants each year learn how to be independent and consider and care about others in cultures outside of their home community. It is imperative to maintain this kind of exchange program to support the concept of global citizenship.”

“President Eisenhower created Sister Cities at a 1956 conference on citizen diplomacy,” said Bill Deef, Senior Vice President of Public Affairs at Meet Minneapolis. “His experience during World War II led him to believe that people of different cultures should celebrate their differences and build relationships through Sister Cities. This is as relevant today as it was 60 years ago.”

Information on Japanese students meeting with Mayor Frey:

-Tuesday, Mar. 6 at 9 a.m. in Room 333 at City Hall, 350 S. 5th Street, Minneapolis.

-Media invited to attend for photographs and video.

-Students will depart by bus for the University of Minnesota immediately following their City Hall visit.

The Minneapolis Sister Cities program was established in 1961 with the signing of the first Sister City agreement between Minneapolis and Santiago, Chile. Today, it includes: Winnipeg, Canada; Santiago, Chile; Harbin, China; Kuopio, Finland; Tours, France; Najaf, Iraq; Ibaraki City, Japan; Eldoret, Kenya; Cuernavaca, Mexico; Novosibirsk, Russia; Bosaso, Somalia; and Uppsala, Sweden.


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