Graphic courtesy of Sister Cities International.
Join Sister Cities International (SCI) for an online 2025 U.S.-Japan Sister Cities Summit Virtual Info Session ahead of the U.S.-Japan Sister Cities Summit.
Get the inside scoop on the 2025 U.S.-Japan Sister Cities Summit, hear about the incredible experiences being planned, and learn how to maximize your time in Japan this September. There will also be travel tips, hotel info, and time for Q&A.
This event is FREE with registration. Click the button below to register:
The U.S.-Japan Sister Cities Summit will be held September 16-19, 2025 in Izumisano City, Osaka Prefecture. All 460 U.S.-Japan Sister City partners will be invited along with government entities, NGOs, elected officials, affinity groups, and other key stakeholders to:
Memorialize and reaffirm the U.S.-Japan friendship “for the next 170 years”
Strengthen current bilateral partnerships and develop new relationships
Rejuvenate dormant U.S.-Japan sister city relationships still on pause from COVID
Honor citizen diplomats who have been key to U.S.-Japan relations
Cultivate the next generation of leaders and cultural bridge builders
Explore opportunities for economic development between countries
Participate in programming at the Osaka World Expo
This year’s theme is “Celebrating Our Legacies, Empowering Our Future レガシー、そして未来へ”. Programs and speakers for each day of the summit will focus on the following words/concepts:
Honor 〜感謝を込めて | Tuesday (9/16)
Bridge 〜つなげよう | Wednesday (9/17)
Reimagine 〜新しいビジョン | Thursday (9/18)
Empower 〜そして未来へ | Friday (9/19)
The summit will be in both English and Japanese, with a goal of securing 800 attendees from the U.S. and Japan. Through the U.S.-Japan Sister Cities Summit, Sister Cities International intends to advance the shared missions of SCI, the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan: cultivating people-to-people ties to foster mutual understanding and peace with other countries.