Our History
The United States Sister City program began in 1956 when President Dwight D. Eisenhower proposed a people-to-people, citizen diplomacy initiative. Today more than 2,000 cities, states and counties are partnered in over 140 countries around the world. The Sister City effort strives to build global cooperation at the municipal level, promote cultural exchange, youth education and economic development. It is a people to people interaction through mutual respect, understanding, and cooperation – one individual, one community at a time.
Many years ago the City of Yuba City was visited by a small delegation from “then” Fujishiro-Machi led by Yukio Takegasa San about forming a Sister City relationship. This idea was not totally foreign to Yuba City. Yuba City was also thinking about having a Sister City and had sent letters inquiring the same to a city in the prune growing region of France. “As fate would have it,” Yuba City never heard from the city in France. Thanks to the efforts of Takegasa San and the delegation visiting Yuba City, we have enjoyed a wonderful relationship over the past 25 (11/2013) years with our friends from Toride City, Japan. Yuba City and Toride are geographically and economically similar with rivers, small mountain ranges and rice fields.
For those who are wondering about the name change, in March of 2005, Fujishiro merged with Toride City. Since then, we have recognized Toride as our Sister City. We share a bond of friendship and understanding that has grown as our cities have moved from formal Sister Cities to close friends. We share many fond memories. Like any extended family relationship, we have lost dear friends in Yuba City and Toride. The memories of these friends have not faded, we can still laugh as stories are told that include the memories of these individuals.
We share a bond of adventure from all of the places our Delegations have visited. These include historic shrines and temples, Nikko, Tokyo, Kyoto and Mt. Tsukuba to riding the Shinkansen (Bullet Train) to visiting Lake Tahoe, Coloma (site of California’s gold discovery), Napa Valley, Lake Oroville, our State Capitol and San Francisco to name just a few adventures. We have learned about the history of each other’s countries and the riches of the cities we call home. At the heart of our exchange is a “home stay” by our Delegations while visiting our Sister Cities – everyone is able to experience a true family living experience – not available in other travel opportunities.
Encouraging interest in and a value for different cultures.

Most importantly, it is the people we’ve met, the lasting friendships we have made, the handshakes received from the youngest of children while visiting a school to senior citizens showing us how to make wooden toys, and the many, many smiles of all of our children. These are the bonds, the glue that makes our Sister City relationship special and sets Yuba City and Toride City apart from all other sister city programs.
We have accomplished much in the short life of our Sister Cities friendship. For this both Cities can be proud. The groundwork has been laid for the future. It is very satisfying to look back at what we have achieved. The tiny word, “We”, has an extremely large and important role -in our relationship. It includes the City of Yuba City and Toride City, the Yuba City Unified School District and the Toride Board of Education, the Yuba City Sister City Association, the Toride Sister City Association and the personal commitment and effort made by all of people in both cities. We have created lasting friendships that will stand the test of time. These relationships will continue to grow as we send and receive students through our annual trips.
We have provided our children the opportunity to turn a far away country into faces with names and families with fun memories and promises to write or visit again. We have given our children the chance to experience differing cultures and to learn to appreciate the differences while discovering the similarities that transcend those differences. The Yuba City Sister effort with Toride has created a dialogue that is “Heart to heart.” A little laughter, a smile, a handshake and an occasional Japanese/English dictionary all contribute to our friendship.
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