Welcoming Reception for the Official Delegation from the City of Sendai to Commemorate the 25th Anniversary of the Sendai - Dallas International Friendship City Relationship
2023/1/24
総領事挨拶
ジョンソン・ダラス市長挨拶
集合写真
From January 17 to 20, an official delegation led by Sendai City Mayor Kohri visited Dallas to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Sendai - Dallas International Friendship City relationship. The two cities have enjoyed a warm and continued exchange, including the dispatch of athletes from Dallas to the Sendai International Half Marathon, youth exchange programs for junior high and high school students, and donations of more than $260,000 from Dallas citizens and the Dallas-Japan community following the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake. Although the Mayor of Dallas has visited Sendai in the past, this is the first time for the Mayor of Sendai to visit Dallas.
On the evening of January 17, the Consulate General of Japan in Houston, in collaboration with the Japan-America Society of Dallas/Fort Worth (JASDFW), hosted a welcome reception for the City of Sendai’s official delegation at the Crow Museum of Asian Art in the Dallas Museum District. Approximately 100 people were in attendance from across wide range of fields, including Dallas city officials, those involved with the Friendship City exchange, Dallas citizens who visited Sendai for youth exchange, runners invited to the Sendai International Half Marathon, local business personalities, and Japanese community members from the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
To open, Consul General Murabayashi congratulated the two cities on the 25th anniversary of their international Friendship City relationship. He emphasized that the active and continued exchange is very meaningful in promoting friendship and mutual understanding between Japan and the United States, especially as Japanese companies expand and the number of Japanese residents significantly increases in Dallas area. He expressed his hope for further development of this wonderful relationship.
Next, Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson gave remarks welcoming Sendai Mayor Kazuko Kohri. He explained how the exchange began in the private sector in 1997 following a visit from former Dallas Mayor Steven Barttlet, how it grew with the signing of the Friendship City agreement under the leadership of former Dallas Mayor Ron Kirk, and how it has since deepened across various fields, including culture, education, and industry. He stressed that Sendai has always been a special partner for Dallas and that this will remain unchanged, expressing his strong desire to further strengthen the relationship in the future.
Mayor Kohri, dressed in a beautiful kimono, gave thanks for the welcome. She expressed her gratitude for everyone involved in the friendly exchange and to those who have supported the reconstruction efforts following the Great East Japan Earthquake. She stated that even though the cities are far apart, the hearts of their people are very close and have been strongly bonded through exchange. She said that the two cities share kinship with similarities such as harmonious urban design that blends modern buildings with greenery, the presence of professional sports teams, and efforts to attract conventions. The G7 Science and Technology Minister’s Meeting will be held in Sendai this year, and she expressed a desire to learn from her visit to Dallas as Sendai grows as an international city.
Other speakers included Mr. Akama, Chairman of the Sendai City Council; Ms. Amy Hofland, Director of the Crow Museum of Asian Art; Ms. Elaine Browning, Chair of the JASDFW Dallas-Sendai Committee, and Mr. Harry Warren, President of JASDFW. Participants celebrated the 25th anniversary of the International Friendship City relationship and deepened the exchange.
On the evening of January 17, the Consulate General of Japan in Houston, in collaboration with the Japan-America Society of Dallas/Fort Worth (JASDFW), hosted a welcome reception for the City of Sendai’s official delegation at the Crow Museum of Asian Art in the Dallas Museum District. Approximately 100 people were in attendance from across wide range of fields, including Dallas city officials, those involved with the Friendship City exchange, Dallas citizens who visited Sendai for youth exchange, runners invited to the Sendai International Half Marathon, local business personalities, and Japanese community members from the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
To open, Consul General Murabayashi congratulated the two cities on the 25th anniversary of their international Friendship City relationship. He emphasized that the active and continued exchange is very meaningful in promoting friendship and mutual understanding between Japan and the United States, especially as Japanese companies expand and the number of Japanese residents significantly increases in Dallas area. He expressed his hope for further development of this wonderful relationship.
Next, Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson gave remarks welcoming Sendai Mayor Kazuko Kohri. He explained how the exchange began in the private sector in 1997 following a visit from former Dallas Mayor Steven Barttlet, how it grew with the signing of the Friendship City agreement under the leadership of former Dallas Mayor Ron Kirk, and how it has since deepened across various fields, including culture, education, and industry. He stressed that Sendai has always been a special partner for Dallas and that this will remain unchanged, expressing his strong desire to further strengthen the relationship in the future.
Mayor Kohri, dressed in a beautiful kimono, gave thanks for the welcome. She expressed her gratitude for everyone involved in the friendly exchange and to those who have supported the reconstruction efforts following the Great East Japan Earthquake. She stated that even though the cities are far apart, the hearts of their people are very close and have been strongly bonded through exchange. She said that the two cities share kinship with similarities such as harmonious urban design that blends modern buildings with greenery, the presence of professional sports teams, and efforts to attract conventions. The G7 Science and Technology Minister’s Meeting will be held in Sendai this year, and she expressed a desire to learn from her visit to Dallas as Sendai grows as an international city.
Other speakers included Mr. Akama, Chairman of the Sendai City Council; Ms. Amy Hofland, Director of the Crow Museum of Asian Art; Ms. Elaine Browning, Chair of the JASDFW Dallas-Sendai Committee, and Mr. Harry Warren, President of JASDFW. Participants celebrated the 25th anniversary of the International Friendship City relationship and deepened the exchange.
