On November 7, 2019 the Concourse of Bellevue City Hall was decorated with an array of gifts received over the past five decades from Yao, Bellevue’s sister city in Japan. The festive atmosphere set the stage for the 50
th anniversary celebration of friendship and cultural exchange between the two cities.
A special delegation visited from Yao and included The Hon. Keisuke Daimatsu, Mayor (above right), City Council Assembly members as well as representatives from the Yao Sister City Association. Greetings and congratulatory remarks were offered by The Hon. John Chelmininak, Mayor of Bellevue (above left); The Hon. Yoichiro Yamada, Consul General of Japan in Seattle; as well as Bellevue Councilmember Janice Zahn, Mr. Shinji Tanaka, Yao City Councilmember; Mr. Shoichi Nada, President of the Yao Sister City Association; Mr. Dale Watanabe Executive Director of the Japan-America Society of Washington; and Mr. Akira Taniguchi, President of the Japan Business Association of Seattle.
Ms. Florence Metcalf, longtime member of the Bellevue-Yao Sister City Committee as well as a historian and lifelong friend of Japan was honored with the Consul General Award for her many years of dedicated service to the promotion of friendship between the United States and Japan.
Over the past fifty years the ties between Bellevue and Yao have remained strong through ongoing youth exchange programs. The 50
th Anniversary reception was concluded with the traditional exchange of gifts. The City of Yao presented two beautiful works of art:; an ornately decorated, commemorative metal tea vessel and a ceramic vase created by the award-winning master potter Yasuyo Matsumoto. Bellevue presented original kirie (Japanese paper cutting art) pictures by long-time Bellevue artist Aki Sogabe. The City of Bellevue will also rename a street near the Bellevue Botanical Gardens Yao Japanese Garden to “Yao City Drive” to commemorate this very special anniversary. Both cities renewed their commitment to further strengthen their ties of friendship and expressed interest in potential mutually beneficial business opportunities in the future.
