Sister Cities
[Sister City Agreement:1979]
Located next to Mexico City, Toluca is the capital of the State of Mexico. It is perched on a plateau at an altitude of 2,680m above sea level and has a moderate climate. Relics of ancient civilizations and beautiful buildings of the Middle Ages still remain today, in harmony with the modern streets. It makes the country both old and new.
As sister cities, Toluca and Saitama City have engaged in many exchange programs, such as reciprocal visits of citizen’s delegations and junior soccer teams.
The Toluca Bells, located in the east plaza of Saitama City Hall, were given by Toluca City to commemorate the signing of the Sister City Agreement. They ring five times a day, giving the citizens a sense of relaxation.
[Friendship City Agreement:1981]
Zhengzhou City, which has a population of 7.44 million, is the capital of Henan Province. It is the administrative, economic and cultural center of the region. Zhengzhou city has a long history with remains of the Shang Dynasty, including a castle wall which was built some 3,600 years ago. In recent years, the city has gained prominence as a new industrial city with its rapid progress in the fields of chemical fertilizers, machinery, measuring instruments, foods, pharmaceuticals, etc.
The mutual understanding and friendly relationship between Zhengzhou City and Saitama City have been deepened through various exchanges in culture and education.
[Sister City Agreement:1984]
Hamilton is located 127km south of Auckland city in the heart of the lush green Waikato district. The city is about 67km2 with a population of some 140,000 people. The area around Hamilton City where the Waikato River flows is one of the richest dairy farm belts in New Zealand. While it has Waikato University, museums, art galleries, indoor swimming pools and a general hospital in the city center, there still remains beautiful scenery like Lake Hamilton and the Memorial Park. The Agricultural Examination Center is also located in this area.
Exchange activities between Hamilton City and Saitama City are promoted through various events to introduce mutual cultures and reciprocal visits of junior soccer teams, citizen’s delegations and high school students. Saitama City also dispatched a landscape designer to the Japanese Garden in Hamilton and donated a Japanese stone lantern for the garden.
[Sister City Agreement:1994]
Located 160km south of Washington D.C., Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia. It has an area of about 162k㎡ and an approximate population of 200,000.
There are various famous cultural facilities in the city such as the Virginia Art Museum and the Virginia Science Museum. It also has educational institutes such as Virginia State University, the University of Richmond and Virginia Medical School.
Exchanges between Richmond and Saitama City are largely centered around student exchanges, including reciprocal visits of junior baseball delegations.
[Friendship City Agreement:1996]
Nanaimo City is located in British Columbia on the Pacific Ocean side of Canada. With a population of about 80,000, it is the second largest city in Vancouver Island after Victoria, which is the capital of the Province of British Columbia.
Thanks to the beautiful natural environment, Nanaimo’s main industries include service industries such as tourism. The name Nanaimo means “the place where people meet” in the language of Native Americans.
The city has the Nanaimo Memorial Museum, as well as rich natural assets, such as Bowen Park where visitors can play with deer and beavers.
The friendship with Nanaimo involves, for the most part, exchanges between Vancouver Island University (formerly Malaspina University) and Mejiro University in Iwatsuki Ward.
[Sister City Agreement: 1998]
Situated in the north east of the United States, Pittsburgh City has a population of 310,000 and is the second most important city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
Once famous for steel, Pittsburgh’s main industries currently include its service and high tech industries. Pittsburgh is also an education-oriented city with 28 universities including Carnegie Melon University and the University of Pittsburgh. In the sports field, the Pirates (baseball), Steelers (American football) and Penguins (ice hockey) are the three eminent professional teams based in Pittsburgh.
Since Pittsburgh became a sister city of Saitama City in 1998, exchange activities in fields such as education have been promoted.