WHAT IS A SISTER CITY?
A Sister City relationship is a broad based, officially approved, long-term partnership between two communities in two countries. Sister City partnerships have the potential to carry out the widest possible diversity of activities of any international program, including every type of municipal, business, professional, educational and cultural exchange or project.
Sister City programs are also unique in that they inherently involve the three main sectors in the community: local government, business, and a wide variety of citizen volunteers.
ABOUT SISTER CITIES OF DELRAY BEACH
Sister Cities of Delray Beach was created by the city commission in April, 1977 for the purpose of establishing a Sister City affiliation with Miyazu, Japan. This relationship was inspired by the generous donation from Mr. George Morikami. In 1906, Mr. Morikami immigrated to the United States joining the Japanese farming community in South Florida known as the Yamato Colony. Many of these Japanese farmers were also from Miyazu. Eventually Mr. Morikami purchased land in Delray Beach which is now the home to the Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens. In 1973, after more than 65 years of farming, Mr. Morikami donated 200 acres of his land to Palm Beach County to establish a park. He passed away three years later. In 1977, the Morikami Museum opened on that land, realizing Mr. Morikami’s dream of a permanent bridge between the two great cultures of East & West. That same year the relationship between Miyazu & Delray Beach formalized as “Sister Cities.”
In 1999, Sister Cities of Delray Beach added a partnership link with Moshi, Tanzania, East Africa. Subsequently, Sister Cities of Delray Beach has also added sister city relationships with Pesaro, Italy and Aquin, Haiti.
MIYAZU, JAPAN
Population – 22,000
Kansai Region
Point of Interest : Amanohashidate (the Bridge to Heaven)
Partnership Period – Since 1977
Special partnership relationship to George Morikami and student exchanges with Delray Beach high schools and Miyazu high school students.
MOSHI, TANZANIA
Population – 184,300
Kilimanjaro Region
Point of Interest: Mt. Kilimanjaro
Partnership Period with Delray Beach – Since 1999
AQUIN, HAITI
Population – 7,700 (city) – 85,090 (municipality)
Partnership Period with Delray Beach – Since 2015
PESARO, ITALY
Population – 95,100
Marche Region of Italy
Points of Interest:
– Ducal Palace
– Romanesque Cathedral Basilica
– Rocca Costanza (castle)
Partnership Period with Delray Beach – Since 2015