Chitose Japan Gallery

As has become the custom, the City of Chitose, Japan, invited Miss Anchorage 2010 (Abby Hancock) to their annual festival held July 17-19 along with Sister Cities Commissioner Charlene Howe. 

Chitose has two sister cities:  Anchorage is the International Sister City and Ibusuki (Kagoshima prefecture, Japan) is the Domestic Sister City.

Sand Lake Elementary School and Chitose Elementary School are sister schools, entering into an exchange agreement in 1991.  Sand Lake Elementary students have visited Chitose seven times; Chitose has visited Sand Lake five times.  Just recently, Mears Middle School is also participating in the newly established exchange relationship with Chitose.

A delegation of 36 from Chitose came to Anchorage last July to celebrate the 40th Anniversary of this Sister City Relationship.  At that time 40 Sitka Spruce seedlings were given by the City of Anchorage to the City of Chitose.  All 40 Sitka Spruce are planted and growing in Chitose’s Anchorage Park.  Miss Anchorage/Miss Alaska and Commissioner Howe unveiled the stainless steel commemorative sign—a combined Chitose-Anchorage effort—in a short ceremony held at Anchorage Park.

Mr. Tatsuo Manabe of Chitose is an Honorary Citizen of Anchorage, as well as a Meritorious Citizen of Chitose and the Director of the America-Japan Society of Hokkaido.  He was instrumental in the original Sister City Affiliation back in 1969 under Mayor George Sullivan and attended the 40th Anniversary celebration in Anchorage last year when he was 93 years old.

Left to right: Commissioner Charlene Howe (representing Mayor Dan Sullivan), Mr. Tatsuo Manabe of Chitose, an Honorary Citizen of Anchorage and Abby Hancock (Miss Anchorage/Miss Alaska 2010).

Miss Anchorage/Miss Alaska (Abby Hancock holds both 2010 titles) and Commissioner Charlene Howe visiting Chitose Elementary School students with Teriko Kawashima, Interpreter. (July 2010)

The original commemorative Sister Cities Sign in the courtyard of Chitose's City Hall by the 40-year old Sitka Spruce with:

Honorary Citizen of Anchorage Tatsuo Manabe,

Takato Matsubara, Assistant Manager, Civic Partnership Promotion Division, City of Chitose

Miss Anchorage/Miss Alaska (Abby Hancock holds both 2010 titles)

Commissioner Charlene Howe, Anchorage Sister Cities Commission

Izumi Okabe, Interpreter, Chitose Volunteer Interpreters Club

Teriko Kawashima, Interpreter, Chitose Volunteer Interpreters Club

Hiroyuki Shimakura, Manager, Civic Partnership Promotion Division, City of Chitose (July 2010)

Commissioner Charlene Howe, Yukino Hashiguchi holding the title of Miss Ibusuki 2010, Mayor Koutaro Yamaguchi, and Miss Anchorage (Alaska) 2010 Abby Hancock. (July 2010)

Abby Hancock (Miss Anchorage/Miss Alaska 2010) and Commissioner Charlene Howe (representing Mayor Dan Sullivan) after the ceremony and unveiling of the commemorative sign in Anchorage Park.

The city of Anchorage presented Chitose with 40 Sitka spruce seedlings in 2009--The Alaska State tree--as a fortieth anniversary gift. (July 2010)