Takamatsu, Japan
Celebrating over 50 years
Takamatsu is the capital city of Kagawa Prefecture on the island of Shikoku in Japan. It is located on the northern border of Shikoku and faces the Seto Inland Sea.
The city has an estimated population of 426,514 with a population density of 1137 persons per square kilometer.
Takamatsu is blessed with a mild climate and scenic beauty. To the north, the city faces the island-studded Seto Inland Sea designated as a National Park, and to the south, the Sanuki Mountain Range.
The History of the Sister City Affiliation between Takamatsu and St. Petersburg
The history of the sister city relationship between Takamatsu and St. Petersburg begins on January 30, 1959, during a momentous session of the Takamatsu City Assembly. On that day, City Assemblyman Mr. Matsuda brought up the possibility of a sister city affiliation with a foreign country, one that would help to provide opportunities to study abroad and make dreams come true for the young people of Takamatsu. Inspired by Mr. Matsuda's suggestion, city officials began their search for a sister city, hoping to deepen mutual understanding and friendship between the United States and Japan through citizen-to-citizen contact.
Going back a bit further, the U.S. sister city program was initiated in 1956 by President Dwight D. Eisenhower, who proposed a system of people-to-people citizen diplomacy. On December 7, 1955, the first sister city relationship between cities in the U.S. and Japan was established. Those pioneer cities are the City of St. Paul, Minnesota and the City of Nagasaki. After that, cities across Japan began to search for sister cities of their own in the U.S. and the rest of the world. In 1959, the City of Takamatsu eagerly joined the search.