Program name: Bakersfield Sister City Project Corporation
Wakayama program run by Wakayama Sister City Affiliation Committee
Program name: Concord Ambassadors
Kitakami program run by Kitakami International Assembly Hall
Program name: Cupertino-Toyokawa Sister Cities, Inc.
Toyokawa program run by Toyokawa City; additional activities by Cupertino Circle
Program name: Fairfield-Nirasaki Sister City Program
Nirasaki program run by Nirasaki City
The Fairfield-Nirasaki program is an all-volunteer, non-profit program supporting valuable global education and peer-to-peer exchanges. Our relationship began over 45 years ago in 1971. Since 1986, each summer we send six high school students from Fairfield to Nirasaki to stay with host families for three weeks. And each winter, Nirasaki sends six junior high and high school students to Fairfield for a three-week homestay. Every five years on our milestone anniversaries, our cities host a short adult exchange as well.
Fort Bragg - Otsuchi
Program name: Fort Bragg Otsuchi Cultural Exchange Association
Otsuchi program run by Otsuchi City
Palo ALto - Tsuchiura
Program name: Neighbors Abroad
Tsuchiura program run by Tsuchiura City
Palo Alto has an annual middle school exchange program with its sister city Tsuchiura which is about one hour north of Tokyo. Sixteen Palo Alto and Tsuchuira students and three chaperones participate. The Japanese students visit Palo Alto in March and the Palo students travel to Japan in June. The program was started 25+ years ago by a public middle school Japanese teacher who is now retired in Japan. On the US side the program is staffed 100% with volunteers and in Japan the Tsuchiura city government has 3.5 staff members formally managing the program. Tsuchiura City pays the air fare for all 16 of their students and three chaperone to travel to the US. Palo Alto students fund their own expenses. The program welcomes middle school students from JLS and Greene public middle schools. Priority is given to those students in good standing in Japanese language classes.
Program name: San Jose-Okayama Sister Cities
Okayama program run by Okayama City
The third sister city established in the USA, the San-Jose Okayama relationship dates back to 1957. Please contact sjokayama1957 [at] gmail [dot] com for more information.
Program name: Sebastopol World Friends
Takeo program run by Takeo World Friends
SWF’s motto is “World Peace, One Friend at a Time.” Established in 1985, SWF has been actively organizing cultural exchange programs for middle/high school students and adult citizens. Hundreds of Sebastopol youth and adult citizens have participated in the program as grass-roots diplomacy ambassadors. In 2014, SWF received a Best Overall Program award from Sister Cities International.
Tracy - Memuro
Program name: Sister City Association of Tracy
Memuro program is run by Memuro City