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Olympia, Washington is a member of the Sister Cities International Association, and has a formal sister city relationship with Kato City, Japan (formerly the Town of Yashiro). In the early 1990's, Olympia signed sister city agreements with Olympia, Greece, and Samarkand, Uzbekistan. Those affiliations no longer exist.
According to the City of Olympia sister city affiliations resolution (pdf file), requests for sister city relationships in Olympia originate by the community. Before the City Council will consider the request, the requesting group must be incorporated with an established board of directors, a structure in place for the organization (not the City) to plan and carry out sister city relationship activities, and the financial means to do so without using City funds.
Kato City, Japan (formerly Yashiro)
On April 22, 1981, the City of Olympia, Washington and the Town of Yashiro, Japan signed a Sister City friendship agreement (pdf file). Since then, the two cities have exchanged visits of civic groups, students, community residents, teachers, and business leaders.
In Olympia, the friendship is nurtured and sustained by the volunteer work of the Olympia/Yashiro Sister City Association. The organization encourages cross-cultural understanding and international friendship through its various projects and visits.
The main street in former Yashiro Town is named Olympia Avenue. When Olympia dedicated the new Fourth Avenue bridge on May 16, 2004, the City Council officially named it the Olympia-Yashiro Friendship Bridge in honor of the longstanding friendship between the two cities. The Yashiro Japanese Garden, created in honor of the friendship, is located adjacent to Olympia City Hall. On display in the Garden are granite lanterns and a granite pagoda that were gifts to Olympia from the people of Yashiro. Several other commemorative gifts from Yashiro are on display in the lobby of Olympia City Hall, 900 Plum Street SE, Olympia.
Kato City is located in Hyogo Prefecture (兵庫県 Hyōgo-ken) in the Kinki region on Honshu island, Japan. The capital is Kobe. On March 20, 2006, the towns of Takino, Tojo and Yashiro from Kato District merged to form the new city of Kato. Kato District was dissolved with this merger. On April 30, 2006, Mr. Hiroichi Yamamoto, the former Mayor of Takino Town was selected as the first Mayor of Kato City.
Contact for Additional Information
To learn more about Olympia's sister city affiliations and/or process, contact Cathie Butler, Communications Manager, City of Olympia, phone: 360-753-8361, or send an email to Cathie Butler.