Our Mission
California-Japan Sister Cities Network (“CJSCN”) provides support to the sister city and friendship city relationships between California and Japan to nurture and cultivate long-lasting international relationships. Through its activities of enhancing and strengthening these relationships, CJSCN will promote peace and prosperity.
As of January 2022, there are 109 cities in the state of California that have a sister city or friendship city relationship with a city in Japan. Although each of these relationships is unique, the communities, organizations and individuals involved in the growth and development of these relationships encounter many of the same hurdles and triumphs. CJSCN strives to be a go-to resource for these aspects we have in common, whether it is gathering ideas for fundraising, connecting to new support networks, or even just making new friends who share the same interests in cultural exchange and peace.
Sister Cities Matter
"In our fast-paced, technology-driven global society, sister city relationships offer not only the ability to build cultural bridges at a city to city level, but also for citizens of different nations to interact with each other at a human level again."
— Meg Mizutani, President, CJSCN
CJSCN provides and facilitates a network that connects the communities, organizations, and individuals involved in these sister city and friendship relationships to support and further information and resource sharing. CJSCN serves as a presence to foster and enhance these relationships and the public benefits they provide through cultural and educational exchange.
CJSCN’s network is built upon a variety of activities, including but not limited to: 1) creating a roster and fact sheet of each sister city or friendship city relationship; 2) creating a communication vehicle such as e-newsletters; 3) creating an online structure where exchange activities and best practices are showcased; and 4) organizing workshops and mixers which will provide educational and networking opportunities.
During the Covid-19 pandemic (2020-22), all in-person sister city exchanges had to be halted for a time. CJSCN made this photo collage with images of sister city exchanges and activities from before the pandemic struck to remind us all of the good times - those that were, and those still to come - in the hopes that sister city relationships would be reignited following the pandemic. Please click on the image to see the full size photo.
