HISTORY

New York City's First Sister City Partnership
Tokyo and New York City became Sister Cities in 1960, making Tokyo, New York City's first and longest standing Sister City. Over the past four decades, a wide variety of projects and exchanges have taken place. The Sister City Program (SCP) along with the Tokyo Metropolitan Government have sponsored numerous municipal, economic and cultural exchanges.

" New York is a global economic and financial center, which is equally well known as a launching pad for many diverse forms of art and culture. We have always regarded your city as a friendly rival in the field of urban management, and it is the example we look to as we aspire to improve our own city."
- Governor Shintaro Ishihara

Programs and Exchanges
For the past twenty years and until 1999, the Partnership was reflected in an annual baseball exchange; The Friendship Baseball Series. This exchange brought together youngsters from both New York City and Tokyo. The young athletes alternatively traveled to New York City and Tokyo to represent their cities in a series of baseball games.

Additional programs have included an annual children's art exchange, participation in the Tokyo Half-Marathon, participation in the High School Diplomats Friendship Program, sponsoring of the Tokyo-New York Amateur Ceramic Art Competition, and coordination of the Scholarship Program for graduate students sponsored by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government.

40th Anniversary of the Partnership
The year 2000 was dedicated to the reaffirmation of the Tokyo-NYC Sister City Partnership. NYC Mayor Giuliani and Tokyo Governor Ishihara signed a Proclamation to officially reaffirm the Partnership, and forty years of Sisterhood was celebrated through numerous cultural events and creative exchanges. A commemorative video was created to honor forty years of friendship.

The Sister City Program continues to work closely with the Tokyo Metropolitan Government (TMG) through TMG's Office of International Relations in Tokyo and the Japanese Consulate in New York City to develop mutually beneficial programs and exchanges.