Volunteer Opportunities – Adult Delegation Host Families

This October we'll be hosting a small adult delegation. The guests from Hekinan will arrive on October 27th in the morning and will leave on Tuesday November 2nd. We are in need of a few host families for that stay. Host families should plan to pick up their guests fom the airport on the morning of the 27th. The commission will have organized sightseeing throughout the weekdays. Host families should plan to organize their own activities on Saturday & Sunday. Please let me know if you are able to participate in this great opportunity!

Jeanne Blair
Edmonds Sister City Commissioner
205-354-0280
jeanne@blaironline.com

Adult Delegation in Fall 2010!

We just found out that Hekinan will be sending an Adult Delegation in the Fall of 2010! They will be visiting us for the week surrounding the Halloween weekend! We are looking forward to their visit as we missed having a delegation last year! We will be looking for host families for these visitors! As well as other community members that are willing to help when they visit! Please contact us at edmondssistercity@gmail.com if you are interested!

The Edmonds Sister City Commissioners are ramping up plans for the 2010 student delegation. Hekinan students will be in Edmonds from Wednesday August 4th through Monday August 16th.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!
- Local residents available during the day to accompany the group around Edmonds and Seattle
- Host families
- Contribution to gift baskets
- Van drivers
- Set up/Clean up for group dinners

Please contact the commission at edmondssistercity@gmail.com if you are interested in participating!

Japanese Culture Night!

On November 12th, the Edmonds Sister City hosted an exciting night of cultural learning at the Francis Anderson Center. The event feature Taiko Drum performers, Edmonds Community College students and a performer of Japanese traditional musical instruments. More than 150 people were in attendance. Thanks to all who made this evening a fun time of learning about the traditions of Japan!

Save the Date!

Upcoming Kabuki Lecture & Performance

The Consulate-General of Japan in Seattle, in cooperation with the Seattle Cherry Blossom and Japanese Cultural Festival Committee, is pleased to announce a Seattle presentation of the traveling Kabuki lecture and performance with lead actors Nakamura Kyozo and Nakamura Matanosuke of the world-renowned Shochiku Company.

19th October Monday 19:00-
Tickets only $10/20
Please come together with your family and friends.
And Please tell your neigbors that the Kabuki is coming.
It's rare opportunity.

Please check these web-sites.

http://www.seattle.us.emb-japan.go.jp/japanese/culture/kabuki.htm

http://www.seattle.us.emb-japan.go.jp/culture/kabuki_e.htm
These pages have all information, where, when, what and how to buy ticket.


*There is also a related event.
'Kabuki Forum'
9th October Friday 18:00-
Free of charge 50 seats only (Pre-registration Required)
Contents; Lecture about Kabuki
Contact; culture@cgjapansea.org
http://www.seattle.us.emb-japan.go.jp/Japanese/culture/image/Kabuki_Forum_Flyer(web_only)_[1].pdf

Today the Edmonds Sister City Commissioners hosted an informational booth at the Edmonds Saturday Market. There were may guests that stopped by to join a raffle for three gift baskets of Japanese 'goodies'. During the morning there were calligraphy demonstrations and in the afternoon children (& adults) learned how to make origami. Thanks to all that came by!

Genkissu Hekinan on July 25, 2009

Genkissu Hekinan is a summer festival. It was held on July 25, 2009. 　And various summer events are as well as held in others’ cities all over Japan for this summer period and their main activities are dance and firework etc. Japanese spend a hot and humid climate enjoying summer festivals.

In Genkissu Hekinan this summer, there were 86 groups composed of 4 sections who participated in the dance and who danced, wearing each interesting and colorful costumes on the main street. The dance groups are divided into 4 sections, children, folk songs tones, pop tones and original by the difference of the choreography. Each dance group had dance in turn for 30 minutes during evening time (4:35pm to 8:00) on the main street as a parade. They danced to madness and showed the visitors their dance with all smiles and vigor while it had been raining off and on during this festival. At the end of the dance, the judges announced prizes for 51 dance groups.

Others’ entertainments except it were held at thee stages. One is the main stage in front of the city hall, where two MC explained the dance groups dancing on the main street and their costumes to the visitors through microphones and on the back side, some of the dance performers in turn showed their original dance to the music performance Hekinan city brass band played. The rest were the two small stages in Hekinan Cultural Center. One was amateur bands performance and the other was dance ones. And a number of busy street stalls were lined up at the parking areas. Many people enjoyed watching the dance parade and the stages show and eating foods of street stalls.

Update for Students that were part of the 2009 Delegation

Dear Students and Family of the 2009 Hekinan Delegation,

As mentioned in our last communication we were holding out hope that the trip cancellation decision would prove reversible; however, unfortunately, it has not. This is most disappointing to us, and the Commission has been working hard to manage the ramifications of this decision, especially those financial. Despite numerous executive level conversations, we have been unable to move the airline or the travel agent to issue refunds, as they cite the tickets are non-transferable and non-refundable. Fortunately however, and most graciously, our Sister City Association in Hekinan has offered to assist with us refunding all fees paid in advance by our delegation.
As you can well imagine, the logistics of coordinating the refund between the two government entities is complex and will take time to process, but here is what we know now:
• You will receive a full refund of the fees you paid to the City of Edmonds to date. We will communicate the refund time line as soon as it is known.
• Since the refund is being provided by our Hekinan Sister City Association, Northwest Airlines will be holding a credit in your travelers' name which will be available for a destination and/or date change of your choice, pending airline and travel agent policies and restrictions.

As we look forward to next year’s activities, we are unable to foresee the landscape of international travel. If next year unfolds as we would like and we are able to send a delegation to Hekinan, we will be sure to contact you for your interest prior to announcing the trip to the public.

We apologize for any difficulties that this cancellation may have caused and hope to see your continued involvement with the Sister City Association. We recognize that you were looking forward to the trip, your furthering of cultural knowledge, and enhanced relationships with your fellow student travelers. Therefore, we will be working to provide you with local opportunities this summer for further interaction with your travel group. We will be in communication again soon.


Thank you,
Edmonds Sister City Commisioners

Hekinan/Edmonds - 2009 Student Exchange Cancelled

It is with sad news, that Edmonds Commission received the following letter from our counterparts in Hekinan, Japan.

June 15th, 2009

The Honorable Gary Haakenson
Mayor
City of Edmonds

Dear Mayor Haakenson,

On behalf of the citizens of Hekinan, we would like to express our sincere gratitude for your cooperation in the mutual exchange programs to you and the citizens of our sister city, Edmonds.

With the outbreak of the influenza A (H1N1) virus, there were the confirmed cases in Japan, as you know.
Moreover, Influenza pandemic alert has been raised to Phase 6. "The world is now at the start of the 2009 influenza pandemic." the Director-General of WHO said at the press conference on June 11th.

The City of Hekinan and the Hekinan Sister City Association have been preparing to execute the junior high & high school student exchange program. However, in view of the following points, we decided to discontinue 2009 students exchange programs, receiving Edmonds students and dispatching Hekinan students.

1. Statement by WHO Director-General on June 11th, 2009

2. In Aichi prefecture, the person who returned from the United States got new influenza A (H1N1) virus.

3. In Japan a person getting new flu must be isolated to a special medical institution for one week at least.

4. New influenza caused the people who will accept a visitor from foreign countries uneasiness.

5. The vicinity cities decided to cancel student's exchange program recently.

As a result of the repeated meeting between the City of Hekinan and Hekinan Sister City Association, we were forced to make a decision to discontinue 2009 exchange programs.

We are very sorry for the students and the people who have worked hard for the program.

We would most humbly like you to understand our situation and idea for Crisis-management and accept our decision.

Very truly yours,


Masanobu Negita
Mayor
The City of Hekinan


Masashi Kuroda
President
The Hekinan Sister City Association

Edmonds Delegate Alumni Event on Sunday May 17th, 2009

Please join us for this special Student Delegation Reunion night for all former delegates and their families to share stories, compare notes and to provide informal thoughts and feedback to the 2009 Student Hekinan/Edmonds delegates prior to their departure in July!

Meet with old friends, bring your photos and learn about volunteer opportunities for the 2009 Hekinan student delegation!

We look forward to meeting each of you and your families! We will be having a drawing for an iTunes gift card...you won't want to miss that!

Light snacks, coffee, tea provided!

Location: Coldwell Banker Bain at 108 5th AVE S Edmonds WA
Date: Sunday May 17th, 2009
Time: 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM
RSVP: edmondssistercity@gmail.com

Report from Hekinan

From Carl & Heather Jensen living & teaching in Hekinan - March 2009

The weather is growing milder and the cherry trees are beginning to blossom after a long and surprisingly windy winter in Hekinan. The winters here are much sunnier than in Edmonds, and there was no snow this year, but the winter wind sweeping down from the mountains and out to sea is a constant feature of life in Hekinan during these months. Everyone seems to welcome the change in seasons.

The end of March also brings the end of the Japanese school year. At the five Hekinan junior high schools, the 9th graders have graduated and scattered to their new high schools. In Japan, junior high school students don’t move en masse to their local high school; rather, they apply to various high schools and go to the best one that they can perhaps in Hekinan, at Hekinan High School or Hekinan Technical High School, or perhaps in one of the neighboring towns of Nishio, Kariya, or even the big city of Nagoya. Every morning, high school students from Hekinan head for the train station to take the train to school in another town, and students from other towns arrive on the train for their school day in Hekinan.

The Hekinan Sister City Association is preparing to send fifteen students to Edmonds for the student homestay exchange this summer. The students were selected just a couple of days ago, and will be preparing for their visit for the next few months. The student exchange is a very important part of the sister city program; at every school there are teachers and vice-principals who have travelled to Edmonds on one of the exchange programs, and they are consistently the teachers who have the best understanding of foreign cultures and who are the most welcoming of a foreign teacher in their midst! Likewise, the students who visited Edmonds last year have benefitted from the homestay. They are outgoing, open, and have a perspective that most junior high school students don't have. All of the families who hosted students last year have really made a big difference for their Hekinan students. Thank you again for your kindness in opening your homes to the students!

2009 Commission Objectives Set

The economy may be reeling, but the Edmonds Sister City Commission is not letting it get us down. We are as active as ever and excited to be implementing aggressive 2009 plans. Last year, we celebrated the 20th Anniversary of the Edmonds/Hekinan relationship and we are appreciative of reconnecting with many of our former delegates, students and long term friends from Hekinan—and we hope to further develop those ties in 2009.

In February the Sister City Commission met and began planning for 2009. Unanimously the commission agreed that it was long over due to spend some time and effort in reaching out to the Edmonds community to remind them why our Sister City Commission is important and how it enriches our community—at many levels. As such, you will see many exciting events in addition to the annual exchange programs coming your way—giving you an opportunity to engage and share your international experiences!

Second to outreach, the Sister City Commission is a volunteer organization. Funding for all exchange programs is critical to our success and we will be actively looking towards our friends and partners in the community to help keep these programs going.

Please join us in spreading the word about what the commission is doing and get personally involved. Invite your friends and families to up coming cultural events, visit with us and rally your support when you visit us at local events like the Edmonds Saturday Market or the Taste of Edmonds. We look forward to working with all of you in 2009!

- Eric Radcliffe, Chair

Edmonds Students Enjoy Visit to Hekinan

By Tim Cashman and Meredith McGahan

Meredith and I want to begin this report by thanking the Commissioners and Brian for helping make the 20th Anniversary trip a memorable one on both sides of the Pacific.

This trip was a huge success on many levels. Our students fulfilled their opportunity to be true Ambassadors in Hekinan in some of the following ways:

Andrew Stein was often seen holding his young host brother high in the air giving us all many memorable pictures of friendship in our heads and cameras.

Natalie Smith and Sylvie Shiosaki took every opportunity that they had informally and formally to use and improve their Japanese language skills to the delight of our hosts and us.

Graham Arnold, Will McCoy, Ben Norman and Tristan Riddell set up and conducted a very well received Halloween booth Ball Toss Game for the enjoyment of both young and old.

Lisa Field, Colleen and Elise Butters wowed everyone with their magnificent ballroom dance steps and teaching techniques at the Farewell Party.

Jason Greene was so dedicated to his turkey making project at the Thanksgiving Booth that he never even took a dinner break and others got him food while he kept on working the whole party..

Joseph Virnig and Jenelle Valera were the first ones to volunteer to take Judo lessons at Hekinan High School and amazed the local students with their ability to adapt so quickly.

Carolyn Hamilton and Brianna Bishop did a great job on introducing our guest on how to make and wear party favors fashionably at the New Year’s Eve booth.

What made us the most proud of these students was their ability to come together as a group while traveling in Japan and how they pulled off a Farewell Party that was so well received that many of our guest did not want to leave. With only five hours to go before the party, we had to forget about the forgotten food items and props and ask the students what kind of party they wanted to throw. We used a rating scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being the best party possible. They all voted on having a “10” and then we listed all the things that they would need to do or not do in order to achieve that goal. The students proceeded to spend the rest of the afternoon showing that they could say “thank you” to their Japanese host families with their actions speaking even louder than their words. The rest is history and it is one we all can be proud of.

Hekinan Students Visit Edmonds

By Holly Guentz

The student delegation from Hekinan, Japan arrived in Seattle on Friday, August 1 for a thirteen day visit. For most of the 13 students and 2 teachers, it was their first time in the United States. They were greeted by several members of the Sister City Commission and escorted to Edmonds. En route, students were excited to see downtown Seattle and the Space Needle. They were thrilled with the comfortable weather here, leaving behind the hot, humid weather of their native country.

The itinerary for weekdays was managed by the Sister City commissioners and was filled with a variety of activities. Weekends and evenings were spent with host families who generously shared many adventures with them during their time together. This year’s visit was even more special with the addition of a group of local Edmonds high school students who volunteered their time to enjoy activities together with the Hekinan students.

On August 2 some of the delegates were in the Sister City booth at the Edmonds Farmer’s Market. Passers by stopped to talk with those in the booth, and many enjoyed having their names written by Japanese students in Kanji as a souvenir.

A Welcome Dinner was held on Saturday night in the City Hall Brackett Room. The Hekinan group, host families, Commissioners, and guests from the community enjoyed a pizza dinner. A highlight of the dinner was when the local Edmonds students presented each Hekinan student with a Friendship Bracelet.

On Monday we visited the police and fire stations in downtown Edmonds.

Commissioner Beth chatted with Hekinan student Masanari at the police station. He said he really looks forward to learning to drive. Then at the fire station, when the officers invited the students to explore the huge fire engine, Masanari was the first one to climb up into the driver’s seat. He was beaming and checking out all the options, obviously relishing the fantasy of maneuvering that huge truck down a city street! Afterwards, we toured Edmonds-Woodway High School and were given bright orange Freshman Class T-shirts donated by the ASB store.

On Tuesday we worked on a pottery project with Tim Cashman, art instructor and a chaperone for our 2008 Edmonds student delegation to Hekinan. The creations included a colorful fish, many small animals, and a bright yellow pokemon character. The afternoon included a visit to Ballard Locks, Gas Works Park, and shopping at Archie McPhees.

The evening was capped off by an exciting Mariners Game against the Minnesota Twins. The students made signs to cheer with and were surprised to see our group up on the big screen in a crowd shot. They all bought Ichiro T-shirts and celebrated when Ichiro had the game-winning catch with bases loaded, saving the win for the Mariners. Mr. Suda, a Hekinan chaperone, took over 300 pictures at the game!

The next day we held a BBQ and swim party at Yost Park. We were led on a trail walk by Ranger-Naturalist Val. We did not see any animals as we were a very chatty group of 15 from Hekinan plus 10 local students. While the students were swimming, Mr. Suda again took his camera and quietly explored a nearby path … and came back with his “prize shot” … a squirrel posed on a tree trunk. Later as the entire group left the pool to walk back to Edmonds, we passed the same tree and discovered 4 squirrels chasing each other up the tree trunks. Out came a lot of cameras as the suddenly quiet students were enthralled by the animal antics. Mr. Suda was elated: “It’s like being at the zoo!”

Thursday the group had a fun time at the Frances Anderson Summer Camp Games. They had relays, tug ‘o war, a rice cake toss, and other fun games with kids from the Summer Camp program.

On Friday the group headed off to Vashon Island for a BBQ lunch hosted by the Shiosaki Family. We went for a boat ride in an old wooden boat modeled after the boat depicted in “Mutiny on the Bounty”. We had to work in unison to row across the bay using very heavy oars. As the story goes, the captain and 19 crew members survived 44 days and traveled 4000 miles in this kind of boat. We couldn’t imagine rowing more than a few minutes! We spent a sunny afternoon listening to live guitar music and singing put on by local Vashon teens, visited the lighthouse, and took the ferry back to Seattle.

Monday, August 11 the Hekinan delegation, two Commissioners, and several student volunteers boarded the bus and went into Seattle for the day. The local students escorted the visitors to Pike Place Market and to downtown stores for shopping. This might explain why many of our guests had extremely heavy suitcases to check in on their departure day. They love shopping!

On Tuesday, August 12 our guests were taken to Uwajimaya to shop for the Farewell Dinner. The dinner was attended by host families, Commissioners and guests from the community. It was prepared and presented by the Hekinan delegation, all of whom were dressed in Japanese attire. In addition to the delicious dinner of teriyaki chicken, ginger pork, and yakisoba, the delegates had stations around the room for guests to try calligraphy, origami, and traditional tea ceremony. The pottery work done by the Hekinan students was on display. They had guests join them for fun folk dancing. Delegates introduced their host families with such tenderness that it was clear how fond they had grown of each other in less than two weeks.

Wednesday, August 13 was the day for their departure. They had enjoyed a wonderful visit and all of them were wishing they could stay longer. This is a good example of the successful blending of two cultures that takes place each time we visit each others' countries.

News & Events

The Wing Luke Asian

The Wing Luke Asian Museum is dedicated to engaging the Asian Pacific American communities and the public in exploring issues related to the culture, art and history of Asian Pacific Americans.












Japaninfusion.com was created to celebrate, introduce, explain and discuss Japanese culture and aesthetics. Our goal is to help people bring the best of Japan into their lives.

http://japaninfusion.com


Meditations on the Japanese Garden

Meditations on the Japanese Garden (MOJG) is an online community about all aspects of the Japanese garden.







http://www.mojg.org/


Aki Matsuri

When: September 6 & 7, 2008

Where: Bellevue Community College, WA

Aki Matsuri is a 2-day program of Japanese cultural, educational, and fun events for all age groups. A large number of local (Greater Seattle area in the Pacific Northwest) artists and craft persons practicing Japanese-style arts and crafts including the performing arts, martial arts, and fine art & crafts will be participating during the entire two day event activities.

http://www.enma.org/

& Edmonds Sister City Commission Photographs:

http://www.thebigpicturelibrary.com/EdmondsSisterCity

Manzanar National Historic Site

Manzanar is most widely known as the site of one of ten camps where Japanese Americans were imprisoned during World War II. Located at the foot of the Sierra Nevada in California's Owens Valley between the towns of Lone Pine to the south and Independence to the north, it is approximately 230 miles (370 km) northeast of Los Angeles. Manzanar (which means “apple orchard” in Spanish) was identified by the United States National Park Service as the best-preserved of the former camp sites, and was designated the Manzanar National Historic Site

In 1942, the United States government ordered more than 110,000 men, women, and children to leave their homes and detained them in remote, military-style camps. Manzanar War Relocation Center was one of ten camps where Japanese American citizens and resident Japanese aliens were interned during World War II.

Since the last prisoners left in 1945, former prisoners and others have worked to protect Manzanar and to establish it as a National Historic Site that preserves and interprets the site for current and future generations. The primary focus is the Japanese American Internment era, as specified in the legislation that created the Manzanar National Historic Site. The site also interprets the town of Manzanar, the ranch days, the settlement by the Owens Valley Paiute, and the role that water played in shaping the history of the Owens Valley.

New Commissioner for 2008: Kerry St. Clair

In March, newest member Kerry St.Clair was confirmed as an Edmonds Sister City Commissioner by the City Council. Kerry brings an enthusiasm to serve her community which is heightened by her personal tie to Japan. Sharing the Sister Cities International’s mission to "promote peace through mutual respect, understanding and cooperation – one individual, one community at a time," she looks forward to involvement with our Sister City Hekinan Japan.

Kerry currently serves as a Community Outreach and Development Professional for the Family Center of South Snohomish County as well as the Professional Technical Program Coordinator for Cascadia Community College. Her professional background and experience in technology and development will be a benefit to the Commission.

Kerry’s family moved to Edmonds to be involved in their community and so far they’re achieving their goals. Her husband, Mark Ayers serves on Edmonds’ Library Board as well as the WOTS Advisory Council, and their two children are avid library supporters and frequent participants at the Boys and Girls Club, and Chessmasters with residents of Edmonds’ Landing. Kerry also serves on the Membership Committee & the Ambassadors for the Chamber of Commerce, the Board of Directors for Clothes for Kids, and Rotary.

When asked about her personal goals related to the Commission, she had this to say: “I look forward to engaging our community in activities which increase our understanding and appreciation of different cultures. Developing partnerships and providing opportunities for our community to explore and personally experience other cultures is exciting – and just the kind of example I want for my children. Increasing the public’s awareness of our Commission is high on my priority list as well.”

Welcome Kerry!