Principal Eddie Park has continued the tremendous momentum of dialog between Yokohama and San Diego for building a public school partnership. Eddie traveled to Yokohama once again on from July 8-16 and made tours to the elementary, middle, and high schools in Kanazawa Ward. He was able to meet and exchange gifts with each of the principals there and officially sign partnership agreements that twinned schools together.

Kanazawa Elementary is now partner schools with Barnard Elementary Asian Pacific Language Academy; Kanazawa Junior High School is partnered up with Pacific Beach International Baccalaureate Middle School; and Yokohama Municipal Kanazawa High School is partnered up with Mission Bay High School.

Furthermore, the Yokohama Board of Education has newly establish an Office of International Division to focus on its overseas exchanges. On September 12th, Yokohama Municipal Kanazawa Senior High School Principal Masahiko Miura and English instructor Mr. Satoshi Yuchi will arrive in San Diego to attend the Society’s annual luncheon at Admiral Baker Clubhouse, and then tour their San Diego partner schools and better know our city.

On March 17, we welcomed Mrs. Hikawa and Mrs. Amino, two teachers from Kanazawa Senior High School in Yokohama who visited San Diego in order to further discuss the the San Diego-Yokohama educational collaboration and the possible creation of a new youth exchange program.

They visited our fantastic schools and toured our beautiful city during their short stay, learning about the Japanese American community in San Diego and the history of its sister city relationship with Yokohama.

Among their stops were the Yokohama Friendship Bell on Shelter Island, the Cabrillo Monument, Gaslamp Quarter, Old Town, Coronado Island, and the USS Midway.

The Yokohama delegates took a breather during their busy tourist itinerary and got down to business: they signed a partnership agreement with Mission Bay High School Principal Remillard, made a school tour of Crown Point Jr. Music Academy, and also attended the opening reception of the new Japanese Friendship Garden Tea Pavilion.

In this whirl of activity our Yokohama guests also got time to shop for souvenirs and were seen off on a direct JAL flight to Japan in time for the next day of school.

In the span of three days, this delegation was moved by the warm welcome of San Diegans, the long history of ties between San Diego and Japan, and the novelty of local educational methods. Mrs. Hikawa and Mrs. Amino expressed excitement at moving forward with the school partnership, well reciprocated by everyone they came in contact with!