Crossing both geographical and cultural divides, 27 delegates
from Hollister’s sister city of Takino, Japan, arrived Wednesday to
see what life out West is like.
Crossing both geographical and cultural divides, 27 delegates from Hollister’s sister city of Takino, Japan, arrived Wednesday to see what life out West is like.
And life out here is good, according to Takino representative Yuko Kinugasa.
“For us, it’s very exotic,” she said. “(The way of life) is almost the same here as in Takino … but I think Americans take things a little slower. Hollister’s relaxing and very beautiful.”
Takino and Hollister became sister cities 15 years ago, Kinugasa said. Takino officials were looking for a town in America of similar size to their own to become a sister city, and after narrowing it down to several different places in the nation, they picked Hollister, she said.
“Population wise, Hollister compared to our town,” she said. “Takino has grown (since then) to about 11,000 people, but not as much as Hollister.”
Hollister became part of Sister Cities International in 1989, a worldwide network that strives to strengthen partnerships between the United States and the rest of the world by focusing on cooperation at a local level, according to the City of Hollister’s Web site.
The Hollister Sister City Association introduced the group to life in Hollister by taking them to such events as a tree planting ceremony at Dunne Park, the Saddle Horse Parade and the Saddle Horse Show, according to Ruth Erickson, the association’s president.
“So far, we’ve had a great time,” Erickson said, while taking the group on a tour of the Hollister Municipal Airport on Thursday. “Lots of smiles, lots of questions – they’re very interested in everything they see.”
Kinugasa, who was making her third visit to Hollister through the association, noticed two apparent differences between the sister cities in the people and the environment, she said.
“Hollister people know how to welcome people – they’re so generous,” she said. “And we don’t have such beautiful blue sky. We always say the blue here is different – it’s more clear.”
The delegates stayed with both host families and at the San Benito Inn during their trip. Five host families welcomed seven delegates into their lives for the four-day trip to let them get a more down-home experience.
Tsuyoshi Kawata, 25, stayed with Hollister resident Dr. Donald Belt, who was “very kind and friendly,” Kawata said through a translator.
While the family experience was enjoyable, Kawata conceded he missed Japanese food but was supplementing his diet with a basic American staple.
“Beef,” he said. “I like the beef.”
The sister city premise to foster goodwill and understanding between average people in different cultures reveals that many things between the groups are the same, but also highlights glaring differences, said Kawata’s host, Donald Belt.
“They’re very clean and respectful – more so than Americans,” Belt said.
Being able to see a foreign place is an important characteristic of the sister city program, Kinugasa said, but more important are the relationships formed with the people.
“This is not a sight-seeing tour,” she said. “This is a meeting people tour. It’s great to come to a foreign country and get to know the people. Even though we live in different places, we’re all the same humans.”
Erin Musgrave can be reached at 637-5566, ext. 336 or at
