Consul-General Watanabe Visits Oak Ridge, TN for Sister-City Reception

On August 22, Consul-General Watanabe visited Oak Ridge, Tennessee, and paid a courtesy call on Oak Ridge Mayor Warren Gooch. Mayor Gooch was joined by Mayor Mr. Hikaru Massaki of Oak Ridge's sister-city Naka City, Ibaraki Prefecture, and Oak Ridge National Laboratory Director Dr. Steven Streiffer. They discussed the long history of exchanges between Oak Ridge and Naka City, which will celebrate their 35th anniversary as sister-cities next year. Afterwards, a reception was held in Oak Ridge to welcome a delegation from Naka, with remarks by Consul-General Watanabe. Seventeen Naka City middle school students are visiting Oak Ridge this year, resuming their student exchange program after a 5-year pause since 2019 due to the Corona Virus Pandemic.