SISTER CITY PROGRAM

Sister and Friendship Cities Program

We are working to deepen relationships with Kusatsu's sister and friendship cities, as well as with Shiga Prefecture's sister state, Michigan.

Promoting Friendship with Sister Cities and Friendship Cities

Kusatsu City has sister city and friendship city agreements with two foreign cities and three domestic cities. Together with Kusatsu City, we have been conducting exchange programs, such as sending and receiving delegations, to strengthen our ties with these five cities.

Photos of Exchange Activities (Pontiac City)

Photos of Exchange Activities (Shanghai Xuhui District)

Pontiac City, Michigan, United States

In August 1978, Pontiac City and Kusatsu City formed a sister city relationship. The City of Pontiac is located in Oakland County in southeastern Michigan, and is an industrial city centered on the automobile industry located southeast of Lake Huron. It is literally developing as the industrial, economic, and cultural center of Michigan, including Oakland University. →History of Sister City Program with Pontiac City(As of March, 2024) →Click here for the City of Pontiac homepage
Xuhui District, Shanghai China

We entered into a friendship exchange city agreement with Xuhui District in May 1991. Xuhui District is located in the southwestern part of Shanghai, China, and one-third of the city is made up of luxury apartments and residential areas, and it is growing as an international city where many foreign companies are expanding. →Click here for the history of exchange with Xuhui District (H30.5.17 version) →Click here for the homepage of Shanghai Xuhuang District
Kanonji City, Kagawa Prefecture

A sister city relationship was established with Kanonji City in October 1982. The giant sand painting ``Kanei Tsuho'' money mold is the symbol of Kanonji City, and it is said that if you look at it, you will not have to worry about money, so many tourists visit. →Click here for the history of interaction with Kannonji Temple →Click here for the Kanonji City homepage
Kusatsu Town, Agatsuma District, Gunma Prefecture

We concluded a friendship exchange agreement with Kusatsu Town in September 1997. Our city and Kusatsu Town continue to have exchanges due to the fact that they share the same city/town name, which is rare in Japan. Kusatsu Onsen, one of Japan's leading hot spring resorts, is crowded with tourists throughout the year. →Click here for the history of exchange with Kusatsu Town (H30.5.17 edition) →Click here for the Kusatsu Town homepage
Date City, Fukushima Prefecture

Date City and Date City participated in the Kusatsu Furusato Festival, which was held by an NPO in the city for the purpose of recovery from the Great East Japan Earthquake, and as a result, the administration began to interact with each other, and in November 2014 they received the Friendship Exchange Award. I tied it. Date City is located in the northern part of Fukushima Prefecture, and two-thirds of the city is recorded as forest. It is a declared city. →Click here for the Date City homepage

Shiga-Michigan Sister State Goodwill Mission

In 1976, a delegation of 165 people from Shiga Prefecture visited Michigan to commemorate the 200th anniversary of U.S. independence. This was the beginning of the mutual dispatch of goodwill missions between the Shiga and Michigan