Majuro reconnects with Japan ‘sister’

Japan Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Iwao Horii (third from left) and Majuro Mayor Ladie Jack (fourth from left) met with Japan Embassy and MALGov council and staff Friday to discuss re-launching sister city ties between Majuro and Kawai Town in Japan. Photo: Hensen Kaisha.
Japan Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Iwao Horii (third from left) and Majuro Mayor Ladie Jack (fourth from left) met with Japan Embassy and MALGov council and staff Friday to discuss re-launching sister city ties between Majuro and Kawai Town in Japan. Photo: Hensen Kaisha.

Majuro and Kawai Town in Japan are reactivating their sister city ties after a 10-year gap. This was the outcome of a friendly meeting between visiting Japan Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Iwao Horii and Majuro Mayor Ladie Jack Friday.

Jack expressed his appreciation to Japan for its funding assistance through the Grassroots Grant program to Majuro Atoll over many years.

As Horii is from Nara Prefecture, where Kawai Town is located, Jack asked him to pass along his greetings to the Mayor of Kawai Town and inform him that a MALGov delegation is planning to visit to revitalize the sister city relationship.

Jack said they are keen to continue cultural and student exchange programs.

Horii said he came to see Jack to get the sister city arrangement moving again.

“We’re working on this important relationship and hope to start sending students this coming summer to Japan,” said Jack. He said Vice Minister Horii “is a close friend of Kawai Mayor Okai Yasunori.” This is why the Vice Minister paid a visit to city hall to convey Mayor Okai’s greetings to the people of Majuro and reaffirm its commitment to revitalizing the sister city relationship with Majuro, Jack said.

“When my administration took office, we started corresponding with Kawai Town through the Japan Embassy,” said Jack. This led to contact with the Mayor Okai and the meeting with Vice Minister Horii.

“The relationship was a fruitful undertaking under which we had student exchange programs that enabled our high school students to visit Kawai to learn their culture and heritage and vice versa,” the Mayor said.

Read more about this in the August 17, 2018 edition of the Marshall Islands Journal.