Port Angeles honors 30-year sister-city relationship with Mutsu; student ambassadors speak to council

Mayor Kate Dexter presented a proclamation on Jan. 7 recognizing the 30th anniversary of the sister-city relationship between Port Angeles and Mutsu City, Japan, and welcomed a visiting delegation of junior-high student ambassadors to the council chambers.

The proclamation noted that on June 20, 1995, Resolution 1495 established the sister-city relationship and praised three decades of cultural, educational and economic exchanges. "This bond has enhanced the quality of life of the residents of our respective cities," Mayor Kate Dexter read during the proclamation.

Why it matters: The student-exchange program — described in remarks from visiting and host participants — has delivered repeated people-to-people contact between the two cities for decades. Council members and municipal staff said the relationship supports civic, educational and cultural ties that the city values.

Rob Edwards, a Port Angeles teacher who has coordinated visits for more than 30 years, told the council the program has endured despite interruptions and that the junior-ambassador visits are a defining part of the relationship. "The program I'm gonna talk about today, we've been involved in that program that same amount of time," Edwards said, introducing the delegation and a slide presentation.

Shusa Kosugohe, identified as a member of Mutsu City's board of education, thanked Port Angeles for sustaining the exchange. "I'm very glad that our sister city relationship has continued since 1995 for 30 years," Kosugohe said, and described the delegation's history and the program's 23rd visit this year. A delegation superintendent identified as Abe (Mutsu City superintendent) described students' arrival and said the exchanges give youth "valuable experiences and pure growth opportunity."

Students and host families gave short remarks at the council meeting. A visiting student described going sledding at Hurricane Ridge and developing close friendships with host students; host-family members said the experience deepened their appreciation for the sister-city connection. One host parent, Jenny Edwards, said the most meaningful moments were everyday interactions at home: "What happened at the kitchen table ... bridged the gap between Japan and Port Angeles," she told the council.

Background and program scope: Rob Edwards and delegation remarks trace the program back to the late 1990s; council-room slides and comments said 261 Mutsu City junior-high students have visited Port Angeles in total, including the current delegation. Officials noted the program resumed after a three-year interruption for the COVID-19 pandemic.

The council recessed briefly after the presentation to receive gifts and meet the visiting students and host families. No formal council action was taken on the sister-city program at this meeting.

Ending: Council members thanked the delegation and host families and said the city looks forward to continued exchanges.