EVENTSUpcoming Events

Bronze Statue Presentation to the Citizens of San Diego by the Citizens of Yokohama, Japan
10:00 a.m. Sunday, June 27, 2010 - Shelter Island

For more information please contact :
Kaneko Bishop, President
San Diego Yokohama Sister City Society
619-583-8979

A bronze statue of "The Girl in Red Shoes," by Munehiro Komeno, is being presented to the citizens of San Diego by the citizens of Yokohama as a symbol of eternal friendship to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the opening of the Port of Yokohama.

The unveiling ceremony, which is open to the public, will be held a the Friendship Bell on Shelter Island from 10:00 a.m. Sunday, June 27, 2010. It will be followed by a celebration luncheon at the Bahia Resort Hotel (998 West Mission Bay Drive, San Diego) from 12:00 noon.

A Ryukyu dance will be performed by the Tamagusuku School of Ryukyu Dance, Tokyo Chapter. The Ryukyu dance dance has been designated as a National Cultural Art Treasure by the Japanese government, in the same category as Noh and Kabuki. This will be their first performance in the United States.

The story of a girl named Kimi is popular all over Japan. In 1920, when she was nine years old, Kimi was adopted by American couple who were leaving for America. She was wearing her new red shoes to board a ship in Yokohama harbor. But just before leaving, she was found to have tuberculosis and could not accompany them. The couple left Kimi at an American Missionary orphanage where she had to fight her illness alone in a small second floor room, isolated from all the others and dying alone.

If she had left with the couple as planned, people thought she would become a goodwill ambassador and build a bridge of friendship between the two great countries. The citizens of Yokohama hope that this marvelous sculpture will be a goodwill ambassador and that our friendship will be forever.

From its simple beginning, marked by the arrival in Japan of Commodore Matthew Perry with his Black Ships in 1853 and the signing of the Treaty of Amity in 1854, the remarkable association between San Diego and Yokohama has grown into one of the closest political, cultural, and economic relationships of our time.

The relationship has gone through a number of trials including the Second World War. But since the war, we have built an exemplary alliance based on the Japan-U.S. Security Treaty. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the treaty. In 2008, the San Diego Yokohama Sister City Society also celebrated the 50th anniversary of the affiliation between San Diego and Yokohama.

The San Diego Yokohama Sister City Society gratefully acknowledges the Unified Port of San Diego's arrangements for receipt of the statue.

We hope that many San Diego people will join us in this special celebration.