Mayor Kitty Piercy and the City of Eugene will welcome Mayor Saburo Matsui, his wife, and a delegation of visitors from Eugene's sister city of Kakegawa, Japan, at a ceremonial event on May 28 in Harris Hall. The highlight of the program, which begins at 9:30 a.m., is a signing ceremony at which both Mayors will sign a joint declaration of friendship symbolizing a renewal of the two cities' commitment to their relationship as sister cities.
The program will also include remarks from Mayor Piercy, Mayor Matsui, and Jim Knepler, president of the Eugene-Kakegawa Sister City Committee, and the presentation of official gifts.
Kakegawa City and the City of Eugene formed a Sister City alliance in 1979. In 2005, the City of Kakegawa expanded its boundaries through annexation and became a new Kakegawa City. The signing ceremony will commemorate the 10th anniversary of the new Kakegawa City this year, and offers a unique opportunity for the two cities to "renew our commitment to each other and declare that we will work together to achieve peace and prosperity for the future, help foster a spirit of collaboration and goodwill, and promote the development of our two cities through mutual understanding and trust."