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Sisterhood Ties

Nagomi, Kumamoto, Japan

  • Location

    Nagomi, Kumamoto, Japan

  • Population

    11,612 (3,034 households)

  • Area

    98㎢

  • Council

    14 council members

  • Administrative organizations

    2 district offices, 1 bureaus, 2 offices, 7 departments

  • Formation of sisterhood ties

    September 15, 1979 (at Gongju-eup Office)

  • Background
    • Transmission of Baekje culture to Japan and cultural interchanges in the ancient times
    • Similarity between the artifacts excavated from the Tomb of King Muryeong in Gongju and the old burial mounds in Nagomi
  • Regional characteristics
    • The pristine Kikuchi-kawa Stream (27km) traverses the town
    • A transportation hub of Kyushu with numerous ancient historical sites nearby
    • A high-tech city with a satellite communication base
    • Local festivals: Nagomi Burial Mounds Festival (early August) and Industrial Festival (agricultural product fair held in late November)

Yamaguchi, Yamaguchi, Japan

  • Location

    Located in the heart of Yamaguchi Prefecture

  • Population

    195,745 (86,564 households, as of July 1, 2018)

  • Area

    1023.31㎢

  • Council

    34 council members (9 staff members)

  • Administrative organizations

    2 district offices, 8 divisions, 61 departments, 5 bureaus

  • Formation of sisterhood ties

    February 23, 1993 (at Yamaguchi City Hall)

  • Background

    The formation of sisterhood ties was made possible at the request of Yamaguchi City, based on the view that Gongju and Yamaguchi have long been brother cities considering their historical ties. It has been proven that Prine Imseong, the third son of King Seong of Baekje, arrived on the coast of Sabagun Datara around 1450 years ago, and the artifacts excavate from Yamaguchi bear resemblances to those dating from the Baekje Period.

  • Regional characteristics
    • An onsen (hot spring) area that boasts splendid natural scenery
    • A center of politics, culture and education
    • A high-tech city with a satellite communication base
    • Local festivals: Gion Festival (a summer festival held late July), Lantern Festival (early August), and Tenjin Festival ( a festival held in late November to honor the god of academics)

Moriyama, Shiga, Japan

  • Location

    Located south of Lake Biwa in the central region of Honshu

  • Population

    82,936 (31,854 households, as of June 30, 2018)

  • Area

    55.73㎢

  • Council

    20 council members (5 staff members)

  • Administrative organizations

    2 district offices, 5 divisions, 40 departments, 5 offices

  • Formation of sisterhood ties

    August 5, 1991 (at Moriyama City Public Hall)

  • Background
    • Historical interchanges between the two regions confirmed by the name sign, “Baekjehyang (Kudara-goori)” in Moriyama
    • Former Japanese Prime Minister Sosuke Uno and the members of Moriyama City Council were inspired during a tour of the Tomb of King Muryeong, and the formation of sisterhood ties was arranged by Korean Japanese An Dong-hyeok
  • Regional characteristics
    • The city with a long history flourished as a lodging town. More recently, it has transformed into a commuter town for those working in Kyoto and Osaka.
    • It is famous for its high-quality rice, flowers (roses and chrysanthemums), vegetables and Moriyama melons.
    • The local wearing industry is quite advanced, thanks to abundant water resources and an excellent road network.
    • It is famous for Lake Biwa, the civic culture center, and an archive on fireflies.
    • Local festivals: Tanabata Festival (a festival originating from the Chinese Qixi Festival held in late July to celebrate the meeting of Orihime and Hikoboshi), Katsube Fire Festival (a festival held in early January to wish for recovery from illnesses), Naginata Odori Festival (a festival held in early May to welcome the god of Lake Biwa) and Sushi-Cutting Festival (early May)

Calhoun County, Alabama, USA

  • Location

    Northeastern part of the State of Alabama

  • Population

    4,125,700

  • Area

    1,539㎢

  • Council

    16 council members (2 staff members)

  • Climate

    The temperature reaches its highest (26.8℃) in July and its lowest (4.7℃) in January

  • Administrative organizations

    2 district 1 office, 6 departments (223 public servants)

  • Formation of sisterhood ties

    November 14, 1992 (in Calhoun County)

  • Regional characteristics
    • A region located in the foothills of Appalachian Mountains that serves as the industrial center of the southern part of the United States
    • Residents are mostly politically conservative and stress the importance of tradition
    • Has well-developed textile, poultry, livestock, and machinery industries
  • Other information
    • County Governor: Five county councilmen take turns serving as the county governor for 9 months each during a 4-year term
    • Main cities: Anniston, Jacksonville, Oxford, and Piedmont
  • Background

    Calhoun County officials hoped to form sisterhood ties with a city in Korea that had a similar industrial structure and regional characteristics as Alabama and decided to form sisterhood ties with Gongju, where Gyeryongsan National Park is located and which has an advanced textile industry.

Baguio, Benguet, Philippines

  • Location

    Situated in Benguet on Luzon Island, 250km north of Manila

  • Population

    350,000 (Korean community of around 10,000)

  • Area

    57.5㎢

  • Formation of sisterhood ties

    May 18, 2011

  • Administrative divisions

    128 barangays and 20 administrative districts (promoted to the city status in 1908)

  • Festivals

    Panagbenga Festival (flower festival held in February) and Baguio Charter Day (September 1)

  • Regional characteristics
    • Began to be established as a vacation city for Americans Contains a golf course with a 100-year-long history
    • Restored after complete destruction caused by World War II a massive earthquake in July 1990
    • Called the summer capital of the Philippines, city of education, city of pines and city of gardens
    • Despite being located in a tropical region, Baguio enjoys temperate climate as it is situated in an alpine area
    • Home to the summer vacation home of the president and the military academy
  • Major tourist attractions

    Burnham Park, Mines View Park, Mansion House, Baguio Cathedral, Summer Residence of the Philippine President, natural caves and Mt. Plug (2,930m)