Sister Cities

Chitose became Anchorage’s first sister city in 1969. Located in Japan’s northernmost island of Hokkaido, Chitose is well-known for its outdoor activities, such as baseball, fishing, and skiing. In 1983, a boys’ baseball exchange program started, in which Anchorage and Chitose residents visit each other every four years. Also that year Chitose began welcoming the recipient of the Miss Anchorage award annually.

In 1994, Sand Lake Elementary’s Japanese Immersion Program began a student exchange program with Chitose Elementary School. This evolved into a program spanning the entirety of K-12 involving Meers Middle School and Dimond High School as well. The Chitose City International and Friendship Association in Japan has long supported the exchange program along with the Anchorage Tomo No Kai. Students and chaperones from each school travel to their respective sister city in alternating years.

In 2024, the Anchorage Sister Cities Commission welcomed the Chitose Mayor and guests from Chitose City to celebrate the 55th anniversary of the relationship. During this visit a park here in Anchorage was rededicated as Chitose Park in honor of the relationship. 

Additional events, cultural exchanges, and activities occur between the two communities throughout each year supported by various local organizations.

Here is a link to a website of Consular Office of Japan in Anchorage featuring Anchorage and Chitose:
Celebrating 55 Years of Friendship: Chitose Delegation Visits Anchorage


 

Fairbanks North Star Borough formed a private, friendly sister city relationship with Monbetsu in 1987. The two cities participated in exchanges mainly focused on culture and agriculture. A formal sister city relationship between Fairbanks North Star Borough and Monbetsu was established on February 8th, 1991.
 
Recently discussions between Monbetsu and Fairbanks North Star Borough's mayors have begun to occur and both sides hope to rebuild the longstanding relationship.


 

Teshio became Homer’s sister city in 1984. Professor Junzo Hasegawa made annual visits to Homer with his leadership camp. Professor Hasegawa recommended Teshio to Steve Yoshida, who became chair of the Homer-Teshio Sister City Association, as a sister city for Homer because of its similar climate and culture.
 
Over the years, students from Homer and Teshio have participated in student exchanges. These exchange help students foster communication between Homer and Teshio.

Homer and Teshio, are unique in their use of online exchange sessions and correspondence,  and celebrated their 40th anniversary as sister cities in 2024.
 
Related Links
Homer has provided a document that outlines the significant events that have taken place celebrating this 40^th anniversary sister city milestone.
Sister City Celebration (Credit to Dave Berry, Director of the Homer Public Library) 
Student Exchange between Homer City and Teshio Town　
Courtesy Call to Homer Mayor Ken Castner


 

The Kenai-Akita relationship dates back to 1989, when Japanese born Yasuko Lehtinen began teaching Japanese language at Soldotna High School. She met with the Consular Office of Japan in Anchorage and worked with the University of Alaska Anchorage and the University of Alaska Fairbanks towards establishing a sister city relationship. After Akita expressed interest in a sister city in Alaska, Lehtinen accompanied the Kenai Peninsula delegation to Akita.

Kenai and Akita officially became sister cities in 1992. Since then, student and professional exchanges involving Kenai and Akita residents occur every two years.

In August 2023, seven students from Kenai visited Akita City to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Kenai-Akita sister city relationship, and a celebration was held to honor Mrs. Lehtinen, who received the 2022 Foreign Minister’s Commendation.
 
Here are a few links concerning their activities.
Yasuko Lehtinen and Hiroko Harada received the 2022 Foreign Minister’s Commendation
Exchange events for Akita city-Kenai Peninsula Borough 30^th anniversary of sister city partnership


 

Ketchikan and Kanayama’s shared history begins in November 1986, after a delegation of officials, including the Mayor of  Kanayama visited Ketchikan with an eye towards creating an international exchange.
 
In spring of the following year, 1987, the Mayor of Ketchikan visited Kanayama to confirm the relationship. They agreed and later that summer in 1987 the first exchange occurred with groups staying in host homes in each city respectively. It was then that both communities also sent an exchange teacher to live year round.
 
In 2004, the town of Kanayama, along with four other towns, merged into the greater city of Gero. Ketchikan and Gero signed a new sister city agreement in 2005.

In 2014, the Ketchikan Gero Kanayama Exchange program won the Governor’s North Star Award for International Excellence in education.

The exchange program, which was suspended for a time due to the pandemic, resumed in March 2024 with a 15-member delegation that visited Ketchikan and was later featured in a local newspaper. Exchanges are now already planned for June of 2025 and in March and June the following year.
 
Ketchikan and Gero will celebrate the 40^th anniversary of their exchanges in 2027.


 

In August 1977, Edward Holmes of Palmer made contact with Mutsuhiro Ishiguro of Saroma via ham radio. After years of frequent communication, Holmes visited Saroma in 1980, which led to Palmer and Saroma becoming sister cities.

Since becoming sister cities, Palmer and Saroma have engaged in short-term and long-term student exchanges and language teacher exchanges. Official delegations from each sister city have also consistently visited each other. In July 2015, 21 Palmer-Saroma Sister City delegates from Saroma visited Palmer to celebrate the 35th anniversary of the sister city relationship.

In June 2024, four Palmer High School students visited Saroma as the “Palmer High School Saroma Delegation”.
 
Here is a link to one of their activities featured on the Consular Office of Japan in Anchorage’s website.
Palmer Saroma Sister City Exchange (Palmer Onigiri Action Campaign)


 

Seward and Obihiro established a sister city relationship in 1968. Since 1973, high school student exchange programs have been active, strengthening the friendship between the two cities.

In addition to the exchange programs, the two cities also exchanged artwork: in September 2013, The Mayor of Seward and eight other guests from Seward visited Obihiro and created a mural with help from a total of 70 Obihiro residents.

In August 2023, a delegation was sent to each of the two cities to celebrate the 55th anniversary of the sister city relationship and to deepen friendships. The relationship has continued to grow since with further exchanges.


 

Sitka and Nemuro have long deepened their friendship through their fishing economies. Nemuro city is a port city that sees many fishing vessels come and go throughout the northern seas of Japan. These similarities led them to become sister cities on December 19^th 1975.

Since then, various exchange programs have taken place, such as sister school programs for elementary and high schools, cultural exchange, and homestays by both sides.

In 2023, for the first time in seven years, five students, including high school students from Nemuro, were sent to Sitka. 3 City officials from Sitka will be traveling to Nemuro to celebrate the 50^th anniversary of their longstanding relationship on Oct. 13^th of 2025.