[Cultural Event] Chattanooga/Tono Sister Cities One Year Anniversary Celebration (November 12th)
2018/11/22
On Monday, November 12th, a delegation from Tono, Japan, traveled to Chattanooga, TN, to celebrate the year anniversary of their sister city bond.
Beginning in 1990, their sister city relationship started when a few local high schools in each area began cultural exchanges with one another. At that time, as now, the two cities felt a connection through a shared interest in agriculture, a culture of storytelling, and a history of overcoming natural disasters and other challenges. This exchange continued for decades, touching the lives of students, teachers, and families in both nations.
In 2015, dedicated citizens from both Chattanooga and Tono began to advocate and lay the foundations for an official sister city relationship. The campaign began with letters of support, grew into meetings between the Chattanooga Tono Friendship Committee and the Tono Education and Culture Foundation, and finally concluded in 2017 when Mayor Andy Berke visited Tono to declare the sister city relationship official.
In light of this great success, the Tono delegation came to perform a traditional Kagura dance to celebrate. This traditional dance uses music, dance, and narration to share stories of ancient Japanese myth. Consul-General Kobayashi attended this event to give words of congratulations to the two sister cities, and to emphasize the importance of first-hand cultural exchanges.
Beginning in 1990, their sister city relationship started when a few local high schools in each area began cultural exchanges with one another. At that time, as now, the two cities felt a connection through a shared interest in agriculture, a culture of storytelling, and a history of overcoming natural disasters and other challenges. This exchange continued for decades, touching the lives of students, teachers, and families in both nations.
In 2015, dedicated citizens from both Chattanooga and Tono began to advocate and lay the foundations for an official sister city relationship. The campaign began with letters of support, grew into meetings between the Chattanooga Tono Friendship Committee and the Tono Education and Culture Foundation, and finally concluded in 2017 when Mayor Andy Berke visited Tono to declare the sister city relationship official.
In light of this great success, the Tono delegation came to perform a traditional Kagura dance to celebrate. This traditional dance uses music, dance, and narration to share stories of ancient Japanese myth. Consul-General Kobayashi attended this event to give words of congratulations to the two sister cities, and to emphasize the importance of first-hand cultural exchanges.
