Kashiwa City conducts youth exchange programs with four overseas sister and friendship cities (Torrance, Guam, Chengde, and Camden), and has conducted friendship and goodwill activities such as citizen-level exchanges as part of anniversary events for several decades.
Torrance (USA)
Two Cities, One Sky – A Conversation Across Horizons Clay Bakhoum, 2025 Adult Leader of Torrance Youth Delegation
Please allow me to introduce myself! My Name is Clay Bakhoum, I am the 2025 Adult Leader for the Torrance Sister City Association. I was both born and raised in Torrance all my life, truly I think it is one of the nicest places there is. I am 26 years of age, and currently work as an IT technician for a local Primary & Secondary school in my hometown. This is my second time in Japan, but my first time visiting Kashiwa. I have been fascinated by Japanese culture since I was introduced to it at a very young age. Similarly Japanese food is extremely popular in Torrance, and has been a comfort food for me ever since I was introduced to it. During my free time I enjoy studying design, architecture, videography, animation, and photography. It’s been an absolute dream to see how different Japan’s cities look compared to America’s. I feel so honored to be a part of such a wonderful experience! I cannot thank KIRA or the TSCA enough for how important and impactful an exchange this is for both the Kashiwa and Torrance delegates.
What made you apply to be an adult leader?
I have had a personal belief ever since I was young that we, as people, are called to work on something that will leave the Earth better than how we found it. It is for precisely that reason that I applied to be an adult leader. I cannot imagine a better way to spend time than to bridge an entire Ocean’s distance than by building bonds with people that will last forever. The time we spent in Kashiwa was too short, but it already feels as if it’s home. Watching these delegates interact with one another- well I can honestly say I’m not worried at all about the future of KIRA or the TSCA. I think with unforgettable experiences such as these, our two groups won’t think of themselves as just individual ambassadors of a nation, but rather a group of friends. In a way, they represent exactly what we set out to do- unite countries, to bridge gaps from culture, distance, and language. Watching them bond has been a genuinely beautiful thing, to witness cultural divides literally melting away between the next generation, it’s heartwarming. It’s exactly the kind of thing I wanted to be a part of, feeling the world get friendlier with every laugh and smile that comes beaming off everyone involved. I'm just happy that I get to see it with my own eyes. Being included in a program this special was too irresistible to me, and everything has been better than I could have ever imagined.
Have you been involved in Torrance Sister City Association (TSCA) activities?
Within the TSCA we have a few activities both myself and my delegates participate in! Aside from our orientations we have to go over the culture of Japan and everything to take note of before our trip- we have two big activities. The Bunka-sai festival held right next to Torrance city hall has events such as Taiko, Sado, Koto, and even Ikebana to show off traditional aspects of Japan to our local community. The Bunka-sai festival is always a fantastic time, it is a weekend celebration with lots of festival food, music, performances and more. As much as I would like it to be just as good as the Kashiwa matsuri, it isn’t a fair comparison. Instead we try to bring a little piece of Kashiwa to Torrance to share with everyone else! After Bunka-sai, Torrance hosts a Cherry Blossom Festival. There the current delegation will try to spread the word about the TSCA and our sister city Kashiwa throughout the event, getting even more people interested in the coming years. Hopefully I’ll get to help out with many more activities in the coming years, as I’m still one of the newest members!
Is this your first time in Japan or Kashiwa? How do you feel about it?
This is my second time in Japan, but rest assured this is much more exciting. The first time I had the opportunity to visit Japan was back in 2017, around the same age as my delegates. However, I wasn’t visiting with the TSCA, I had gotten the opportunity to visit a family friend and to see the Sakura Bloom over spring break. While that was amazing, this trip has been much more personal.
This was a much more authentic, and honest way to live in Japan. I felt much more connected with the culture on a personal level. Not to mention, my host families who made me feel as though I am one of their own. How I feel about Japan has only improved. I was always interested in the traditional arts, architecture, and foods of Japan, but now- I’m even more obsessed. Where before I had felt as a tourist, I think coming to Kashiwa has made me feel as though I actually belong here. The city is so welcoming and everyone we’d met at every school, or every guide on each tour was so pleasant and kind that I am heartbroken that I have to leave at all. I can’t say enough good things about Kashiwa. There was never a dull moment in all our time exploring, I could walk for hours taking photos of every block.
What was the most memorable part of your trip to Kyoto/Hiroshima with your students?
In order to fully understand, please allow me to explain something: California, and Torrance specifically gets about 2 weeks of rain a year. Many of our fields dry up and stay that way a majority of the year. Rain is so infrequent, that to us- it’s practically a blessing. Rain is symbolic of washing away the troubles of the present and serves as a reminder that greener pastures are always on the horizon.
One unforgettable moment in particular stands out to me from our time in Hiroshima and Kyoto. Early in the morning we reached the Atomic dome and learned about everything that had happened all those years ago, followed by the Peace Memorial Museum. Seeing everything that had happened very quickly sent a sickening chill down everyone’s spine. I think most of us were horrified with what we came face-to-face with, it was a deeply moving experience. That dark cloud we felt followed us as we traveled from Hiroshima to Kyoto, eventually metastasizing into literal storm clouds overhead. Most people would consider it bad luck, but for us, it was exactly what we needed. Climbing up Fushimi Inari Taisha in a pleasant rain felt like a world out of time. The Torrance delegates quickly decided the climb was more enjoyable without the burden of rain protection, and opted to forgo it entirely. Choosing to feel the rain, letting the water wash away the melancholy. It had felt like a blessing, other tourists and visitors quickly decided they’d preferred to be out of the downpour, leaving only a few of us remaining. Surrounded in a Forrest of lush green, brilliant red Tori gates, and the sounds of nature. I have no words to describe it other than magical. I watched spirits rise in the group as if by a miracle, looking back it is one of the defining moments of our trip, and it’s a memory I will hold in my heart forever.
How do you want your students to grow through this experience?
There are many ways I want my students to grow through this trip. I have already seen them growing far beyond my expectations. I only wish I could say I had a bigger part in each member’s development but the truth is- they did it all on their own. It has been such a privilege to watch them find their own footing and own voice throughout this experience. Three weeks is longer than most students that age will ever spend away from their families, especially in a separate country from them. Hearing the emotions come through during the sayonara banquet speeches, watching many of the families tear up and cry, that bond is something only they can forge.
When I initially came to this program as an adult leader, I was hoping to build leadership, respect, organization, and improvisational skills with all of them. There were many who were interested in every facet of Japanese culture, and through having all these opportunities I was hoping more than anything that they would be able to try everything that interested them. I wanted them to understand the safest methods of international travel, and most importantly I wanted to teach them how to prepare for a challenge unlike anything they’ve ever experienced. Very quickly I found myself learning from them instead how to actually enjoy something new, how to dive headfirst into a complete unknown and be ready and excited for whatever is next.
At first I was worried that I might have to become an overbearing parent for my delegates. However, I think about these students now, and I’m not worried anymore. In every capacity they have exceeded my expectations, I have watched them truly take this challenge head on and with grace they have perfected it. I am so proud of them all, I truly cannot wait to see what they decide to do next!
【Torrance 50th anniversary video (digest version)】2023
The 52nd Student Delegation to Torrance City: Kashiwa Youth Ambassadors Were Selected
Kashiwa and Torrance, U.S.A., celebrated the 50th anniversary of their sister city relationship the year before last and have continued to make further efforts to promote exchange. The student ambassadors of the 52nd delegation to Torrance were selected after two rounds of interviews. Starting this year, the application age is from the first year of high school, adding younger students to the program compared to previous years. The ambassadors are Ms. Kayoko Yamazawa （Adult Leader）, and eight students: Sarara Gonohe, Kanna Ota, Lea Shimura, Masaki Yamamoto, Tomoro Ihara, Kotaro Kimachi, Eita Masuda, and Taiki Yoshioka. They will obtain the knowledge and attitude necessary for the mission, such as English conversation, Kashiwa odori, etc. in six orientation sessions. They will be united by their awareness of their role as goodwill ambassadors of Kashiwa and a mutual trust in each other as a team. Departing on August 4, they will experience American family life through homestays, interact with Torrance residents through various programs, and return on August 22. We wish them further growth and look forward to future international goodwill activities by the next generation.
Students (high school and university students) who visited the sister city, Torrance, U.S.A. this year will share their valuable experiences with accompanying video.
Date & Time: Sunday, November 19, 2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. (Registration from 1:30 p.m.)
Place: Palette Kashiwa Open Space
Registration: Not required, please come directly to the venue on the day.
Citizens' Delegation Tour to Torrance to Commemorate the 50th Anniversary of Sister City Affiliation (2/16-2/23)
A total of 44 Kashiwa citizens, including Mayor Kazumi Ota, City Council Chair, Mr. Norihito Tsumuraya, city officials, and some of the members of the Kashiwa International Relations Association, visited Torrance in California on February16 to 23. The visitors received a hearty welcome from Mayor George Chen of Torrance, as well as Torrance Sister City Association members, and many other citizens.
At the welcoming ceremony in front of the City Hall, many city employees welcomed us by waving the small national flags of Japan and the U.S., and the Torrance citizen's chorus sang the national anthems of the two countries. They made us feel deeply grateful for the peace relationship. As was customary, a commemorative cherry tree planting was held on the City Hall grounds. At the Torrance Art Museum, a special exhibition by Japanese and Japanese American artists was being held to celebrate our 50th anniversary. At Torrance North High School, which is the sister school of Kashiwa Municipal High School, the students also sang the national anthems of both countries for us. At lunch time, we enjoyed conversations in Japanese with the high school students who were taking Japanese language classes. After lunch, they gave us a school tour of their large campus, where 1, 800 students study. That evening, the delegation was divided into two groups: the Mayor's Dinner group and the Home Visit group. At the home visit, the visitors made new friendships with the newly acquainted families. At the picnic in Wilson Park, all of us wore the yellow sister city T-shirts and renewed old friendships. There was even a reunion of a former Kashiwa exchange student and his Torrance host family member, who had not seen each other in decades. On the last day, the Sayonara Banquet featured the 50th anniversary signing by the two mayors, and we paid tribute to Mikko Haggott Henson, who passed away last year and was instrumental in the establishment of the sister city agreement. We pledged to further strengthen the ties between the two cities. A delegation from Torrance is scheduled to visit Kashiwa this October.
【Torrance Mission Visits Kashiwa (5th Dec – 9th Oct 2023)】
A delegation commemorating the 50th anniversary of the sister city relationship with Torrance arrived in Kashiwa on October 5th and stayed until the 9th. Mayor Chen and his wife, all city council members, and 43 people from sister cities. On the 6th, they visited City Hall for a welcome ceremony. When we got off the bus at the main entrance, city hall staff, sister city officials, and citizens were waiting for us, waving American flags and Japanese flags in their hands and giving us a grand welcome. A welcome ceremony was held in the plaza behind City Hall with the participation of many Kashiwa residents. After the national anthems of Japan and the United States were played and greetings were given by both mayors, Mayor Ota presented 50th anniversary T-shirts to all visiting delegates. Afterwards, we toured Smart City Kashiwa-no-ha, took a self-driving bus to the University of Tokyo, and enjoyed lunch at the campus buffet.
In the afternoon, they visited the city council and watched as the resolution to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the sister city relationship and pray for the continuation of the sister city relationship was adopted and passed unanimously.
They enjoyed a brass band performance at Municipal Kashiwa High School, and in the evening a welcome party was held at the Crest Hotel where the delegation was staying.
The next day, a commemorative tree planting was held at Furusato Park. Afterwards, he walked with Mayor Ota along Torrance Street in Kitakashiwa, and the idea that he had proposed was met with cheers. At the adjacent Furusato Park, the children participated in the Warabi Nursery School's sports day, enjoyed singing by the Kashiwa Boys and Girls Choir, participated in the Yosakoi Senjin dance, and enjoyed the Kitakashiwa Town Association's marche. In the afternoon there is a home visit. The 43-person delegation was divided into groups of two to three people and invited to the homes of ordinary citizens for lunch. We visited Torrance in February, experienced a home visit, became friends with people, and asked to accept us in return, which was a great help. It seems that the people of Torrance also enjoyed spending time with their families. At night, we split up into small groups and went to pubs and other places frequented by ordinary people. I enjoyed the yakitori and yakiniku.
On the 8th, we took a bus to Tokyo Tower and Asakusa, and in the evening we had a farewell party. Many past students and host families came to say goodbye. There were a variety of people returning to Japan the next day, including those who headed directly to Narita, those who went sightseeing in Japan such as Kyoto and Kanazawa, and those who traveled to South Korea.
We were very happy that the welcome ceremony was held in an open space for the first time, and that the general public also participated. Furthermore, during our visit to Torrance Street in Kitakashiwa, we not only received the cooperation of various organizations, but also the general public, and we were very happy to see that we were able to further expand this new circle of international exchange.
When I visited Torrance from Kashiwa in February, I received heartfelt and warm hospitality from Mayor Chen and everyone else. We were worried about whether we would be able to provide the same kind of feedback when everyone came to Kashiwa, but I think they were happy with the preparations we made online, our own ingenuity, and our heartfelt hospitality. Mayor Ota's active participation in the event, Chairman Kosuge's enthusiasm, the cooperation of the general public, and the efforts of the Torrance Committee members served as the driving force for a new friendship.
WelcomeParty Speach
Torrance Mayor Chen
Donna TSCA Chairman
Mayor of Kashiwa Ota
Kosuge KIRA Chairman
In the process of discussing a sister club relationship with a U.S. city, the Kashiwa Lions Club advised Kashiwa City and the City Council in June 1970 that "a sister relationship with a similar city in the United States”, would be desirable for the cultural improvement of Kashiwa City. Later, in November 1971, at the Pacific Asian Cities Conference in Hawaii, the two mayors exchanged opinions on sister city affiliation.
Then, in January 1972, Torrance City proposed a sister city affiliation to Kashiwa City. At a meeting of the Kashiwa City Council members held in January 1973, the sister city affiliation was approved. Following this, the mayors of both cities signed the agreement in Torrance on February 20, 1973.
The 16th (2025) Kashiwa City Youth Delegation to Chengde City: Finalists Announced
This year, Kashiwa celebrates the 41st anniversary of its friendship city affiliation with Chengde City in Hebei Province, China. We are proud to have such a long history of mutual youth exchange programs, and we are renewing our commitment to further promote our friendship.
The four delegates are Ryota Takahagi, Yuna Hayashi, Yaya Konno, and Megumi Ishikawa. They will be led by the delegation leader Miu Azuma.The delegates will participate in four orientation sessions to learn necessary knowledge for their dispatch and exchange, including information about China. They will depart on August 21st, crossing the Great Wall to reach Rohe (the old name of the region). They will experience life in a foreign country through a homestay and interact with the people of Chengde through various programs. As the saying goes, “Seeing is believing,” and we hope that they will return home on August 26th, having grown and matured through their precious experience.
Ms. Miu Azuma, the delegation leader
Delegates to Chengde
In January 1980, when the Japan-China Friendship Kashiwa citizens' delegation led by Kashiwa City Mayor visited China, Mr. Sun Ping-hua, Secretary General of China-Japan Friendship Association, introduced Chengde City to the delegation. This led to a series of exchanges of opinions between the two cities, and three years later, on November 1, 1983, a friendship city agreement was signed in Kashiwa.
The exchange with Guam started through the Kashiwa Festival. Miss Kashiwa was awarded a trip to Guam as a supplementary prize, and since 1985, Miss Guam and a representative of the Guam Visitors Bureau have participated in the Kashiwa Festival. The Kashiwa Green Lions Club and the Marianas Lions Club of Guam became sister clubs in February 1990, and exchanges deepened through youth exchange programs, etc. In May 1991, a petition requesting a goodwill alliance between Kashiwa City and the Guam government was submitted and adopted by the regular city council of Kashiwa in June 1991. The petition was adopted by the city council in June 1991. The mayor of Kashiwa City wrote to the governor of Guam in July 1991, and the governor readily agreed to a friendship city affiliation. On November 30,1991, the signing of the friendship city agreement took place in Guam.
In September 1989, Shonan International Friendship Association (SIFA) was established at the call of Shonan Town. In response to the call for a sister city abroad, SIFA conducted its own research and survey of the town’s residents, and as a result, the town of Camden emerged. After Mayor Camden came to Shonan Town in June 1993, 10 junior and senior high school students from Shonan experienced a 13-day homestay in Camden for the first time in August 1994. In November, 57 band members from Camden High School came to Shonan to perform and do a homestay. Since then, many exchanges have taken place, and in April 1997, a friendship city agreement was signed between Shonan and Camden. In 2005, after the merger of Kashiwa City and Shonan Town, Camden became a friendship city of Kashiwa.
Youth Exchange Program
The Torrance, Camden, and Chengde exchange programs have been cancelled for the year 2021.
〒277-0005 1-7-1-301 Kashiwa, Kashiwa City, Chiba Prefecture
DayOne Tower 3F Palette Kashiwa
TEL:04-7157-0281 FAX:04-7165-7321
E-Mail:kcc@kira-kira.jp
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