Sister City Visit Reception
Marquette area residents rolled out the welcome mat tonight for six visitors from the Land of the Rising Sun.
Marquette has had a sister city relationship with Higashiomi, Japan since the late 1970s.
Six Higashiomi residents arrived on Wednesday, and they’re here until next Wednesday.
They exchanged gifts with Marquette Mayor John Kivela in a reception at the Peter White Public Library.
Longtime Sister City program volunteer Bill Brazier says the reception is a great way for the city to welcome its visitors and also an excellent way for the Japanese delegation to help meet its goal of meeting as many people as possible.
Last October, a delegation from Marquette visited Higashiomi for ten days.
The Higashiomi delegation includes two college students and a retired computer engineer.
Marquette’s other sister city is Kajaani, Finland.
Michigan also has a sister state relationship with Shiga Prefecture in Japan, the equivalent of a state that Higashiomi is in.