Dallas Council member Adam Bazaldua is in the midst of a 10-day visit to extend Dallas’ relationship with its sister city, Sendai.
According to Bazaldua’s office, the Office of Government Affairs funded the trip’s total cost, estimated at just under $6,000, under the American Rescue Plan Act. The money was reallocated in February 2024 to rebuild international business and tourism.
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The Dallas Morning News submitted a public information request for records relating to the trip expenses.
“My goal on this trip is to reinforce the long-standing friendship between Dallas and Sendai, highlight our shared history, and explore future opportunities for collaboration,” said Bazaldua in a statement. “It is also an opportunity to showcase Dallas as a truly international city that values cultural exchange, economic opportunity, and cooperation with global partners.”
Political Points
Sendai, Japan, is one of Dallas’s nine sister cities, having joined the list in 1997. Following the earthquake and tsunami of 2011, Dallas residents supported their partner city in its recovery efforts, according to the Office of Government Affairs.
Jake Anderson, the director of the Office of Government Affairs, said Bazaldua was invited by the Sister Cities International network previously in his capacity as Deputy Mayor Pro Tem.
Anderson said the process of who attends these international trips is handled on a case-by-case basis, and that usually the mayor and council members decide which events to attend, with input from city staff.
Ties with Japan
Bazaldua said he was able to meet local leaders and tour sites where Dallas’ contributions helped rebuild Sendai. Bazaldua spoke at the Sister Cities International conference in Izumisano, Japan.
The Japan America Society of Dallas-Fort Worth hosted its annual Sun and Start Legacy Award dinner in May at the Hyatt Regency Dallas, and Bazaldua and council member Gay Willis gave remarks.
According to the 2025 Dallas State and Local Fiscal Recovery Report, the Office of Government Affairs purchased a $2,500 institutional membership with the Japan-America Society of Dallas-Fort Worth.
The report mentions Sendai as “Dallas’ most active friendship city.”
In the same month, according to the report, a delegation of sports ambassadors from Dallas — including runners Mani Alavi and Allison Lewis and Macs Reynold, a Dallas government affairs senior — went to Sendai for the international half-marathon.
Japan picked Arlington for the 2026 Japan-Texas Economic Summit. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s office cites Japanese direct investment as the top generator of new jobs in the state, with over $31 billion in trade flowing between Texas and Japan annually, The News reported.
Budget deficit
Last year, Bazaldua and four other Dallas City Council members traveled to the country for a week to explore and experience its high-speed bullet train network. At the time, the city was considering approving a similar train system in Texas.
The train remains nothing more than a vision, following the termination of a federal grant to help fund the bullet train by President Donald Trump’s administration in April. The council members’ trip to Japan has become a talking point for local activists who are against the city’s spending.
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Bazaldua, who represents District 7, the majority of which is in southern Dallas, left on Sept. 9 and will return Sept. 19. The city has not said who was part of the delegation.
On Sept. 17, the Dallas City Council is expected to hold a final vote for the city’s $5.2 billion budget. He will join virtually.
Bazaldua’s trip comes as the city’s proposed budget faces millions of dollars in cuts, including possibly closing nine community pools and keeping a library open.
He posted photos of his trip on Facebook and Instagram, thanking the city of Sendai for hosting him. Bazaldua said he will represent Dallas at the World Expo in Osaka, Kansai, later this week.
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