Houston and Chiba City marked 40 years of the internationally-recognized Houston-Chiba Sister City Youth Ambassador Program through a two-part online exchange held on November 29 and December 7.
Part 1 saw program participants greeted by Nobuyuki MINATO, Director of the Chiba City International Association, Toshihiro SAGARA, Director of the Office of the Mayor of Chiba City and Jessica NGO, Protocol and International Programs Manager for the Houston Mayor’s Office of Trade and International Affairs.
In addition, 3rd year students from Katsuragi Jr. High School performed the soranbushi, a traditional dance to a minyo folk song that contains lyrics meant to encourage fishermen at work.
Part 2 gave students from River Oaks Baptist School (ROBS) the opportunity to introduce aspects of school life — from community and academics to extracurriculars and sports.
Following the ROBS presentations, students from Katsuragi Jr. High School and River Oaks Baptist School discussed ideas for items to be placed in a virtual time capsule to be opened in 2032.
To date, more than 200 young people have been exposed to the rewarding field of international relations through the Houston-Chiba Sister City youth Ambassador Program.
Our Youth Ambassadors are a reminder that the Houston-Chiba Relationship is full of promise, and JASH is proud to be in a position to see firsthand the strong connections being forged between the youth of Houston and Chiba City.