Coos Bay celebrated its four-decade relationship with its Japanese sister city, Choshi, sharing a set of fans gifted by students overseas, with plans to return the favor.
City Councilor Sara Stephens showcased the fans, made by 4th graders in Choshi, at a city council meeting Oct. 7. The fans are colorful, and some depict Choshi’s mascot Choppy.
“I love them, I think they’re so great; the kids obviously spent a lot of time and effort building these fans for us. They also got to learn about the city of Coos Bay and learned a couple of English words,” Stephens said.
There are now plans underway for 4th grade students in Coos Bay to create their own fans and send them to Choshi in the near future, Stephens said.
She has experience in both coastal communities.
Two years ago, she traveled to Choshi on a self-funded trip. The cities’ commonalities include an economic reliance on the fishing industry, and even a memorial to track and field legend Steve Prefontaine.
Both Coos Bay and Choshi also deal with the same concerns over natural disasters, namely tsunamis.
Stephens said one thing she noticed during her time there was that instead of preserving older, historical buildings, Japan tends to build new, modern structures in order to keep up with modern safety standards.
The sister city display at City Hall, adorned with gifts and trinkets from the last 40 years, is a great reminder of the bond between Choshi and Coos Bay, according to Stephens.
“I have a deep love and affinity for Japan, and I love to be reminded about our relationship and my trip there, and about the culture that we share together, and the love for each other,” Stephens said.
Conversations between the two cities happen at least once a month, and they always are open for collaboration, Stephens said.
AloJapan.com