Add your event by completing our event submission form.
U.S.-Japan Sister Cities Summit
September 16 - September 19
The year 2024 will mark the 170th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Japan and U.S., the 70th anniversary of Sister Cities International, followed by the 80th anniversary of bilateral relations since the end of World War II in 2025. According to the U.S. Department of State, the U.S.-Japan Alliance is “the cornerstone of U.S. security interests in Asia and fundamental to regional stability and prosperity.”
To commemorate these milestones, Sister Cities International (SCI) will hold a U.S.-Japan Sister Cities Summit September 16-19, 2025, in Izumisano City, Osaka. All 460 U.S.-Japan Sister City partners, government entities, NGOs, elected officials, and key stakeholders will be invited to:
- Memorialize and reaffirm the S.-Japan friendship “for the next 170 years”
- Strengthen current bilateral partnerships and develop new relationships
- Rejuvenate dormant S.-Japan sister city relationships still on pause from COVID
- Honor citizen diplomats who have been key to S.-Japan relations
- Cultivate the next generation of leaders and cultural bridge builders
- Explore opportunities for economic development between countries
- Participate in programming at the Osaka World Expo
Theme:
“Celebrating Our Legacies, Empowering Our Future レガシー、そして未来へ”
Programs and speakers for each day of the summit will focus on the following words/concepts:
- Day 1 (Tuesday 9/16) Honor 〜感謝を込めて
- Day 2 (Wednesday 9/17) Bridge 〜つなげよう
- Day 3 (Thursday 9/18) Reimagine 〜新しいビジョン
- Day 4 (Friday 9/19) Empower 〜そして未来へ
Target attendance for this summit is 800 participants primarily from the U.S. and Japan. The summit will be conducted in both English and Japanese and simultaneous interpretation will be available to all participants.
Through the U.S.-Japan Sister Cities Summit, we intend to advance the shared missions of SCI, the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan: cultivating people-to-people ties to foster mutual understanding and peace with other countries.
More details to come