Committee asks mayor to plan September reception for visiting Nishinan delegation; logistics and gifts discussed

The Mayor's Blue Ribbon Committee on Sister Cities unanimously asked the mayor to begin planning a mayor-to-mayor reception on Sept. 4 for a visiting delegation from Nishinan and discussed logistics, gift options and who would fund hospitality. Committee member Christie said the Nishinan delegation’s itinerary shows a mayor and six other adults arriving after traveling through Boston, and that the city needs visitor passport information and navy clearance for any shipyard visits. "They need to fill out a form and send us copies of the passports and all of that," Christie said, adding that naval approvals can take at least a month. The committee voted to request the mayor to start the planning process for a reception in Council Chambers, with timing flexible to the mayor’s schedule and a preference to avoid 4 p.m. Christie said refreshments could be donated but that the mayor might pay for reception-related expenses; one committee member offered to pay for the reception. Members discussed gifts for the delegation and recommended transportable, locally made items such as wooden tide/time clocks produced by a local craftsman and blankets. Committee members suggested providing a slightly larger or special gift to the visiting mayor than to other delegates. Committee members also reviewed the bell-ringing ceremony set for Sept. 5. The bell ceremony will be on Pleasant Street in front of Piscataqua Savings, typically beginning around 3:15 p.m. with the bells of Portsmouth scheduled to ring at 3:47 p.m. Christie said the Japan America Society is actively involved in coordinating the bell ringing and that consular and legislative invitations are being managed separately. The committee discussed student exchanges tied to Nishinan and other sister cities, noting dates for student visits were not yet finalized and that alumni who previously traveled could be invited to greet visiting students. The Japan Society may assist with student-host activities. Next steps: staff will seek a prompt response from the mayor’s office on hosting the reception and whether the mayor will cover mayor-to-mayor gift costs; staff will continue to request passport and navy clearance paperwork from the Nishinan mayor’s office; committee members will begin compiling a gift-inventory list and coordinate with local vendors for transportable gifts.