City of Lima celebrates 25 years of being sister cities with Harima-cho, Japan

LIMA, OH (WLIO) - The city of Lima is celebrating 25 years of being a sister city with Harima-cho, Japan.

Members of city council, current and past members of the Sister Cities Association, plus delegates from Harima-cho gathering Tuesday evening for a dinner to commemorate a quarter century of cultural exchange and friendship.

Over the years, the city of Lima has sent over 500 citizens to Harima-cho to experience what life is like in Japan, and a founding member of the association recalls visiting five potential cities in Japan 25 years ago. She says that Harima-cho gave them the warmest welcome.

"They were so enthusiastic—the mayor put out his hand and shook my hand and said, 'Let’s be sister cities'," said Sandra Liechty, vice president of the Lima Sister Cities Association. "I was surprised that he was so enthusiastic, and so we did; we became sister cities, and it has continued to go smoothly ever since. It’s just been a wonderful experience that has benefited both cities."

The delegates from Japan have been in our area for the last few days, learning more about how things are run in our part of the world, including visiting our schools.

"We took them to Lima Senior High School yesterday (Oct. 21st), and one thing that they noticed was that every student that we passed in the hallway had a smile on her face," said Matthew Neely, president of the Lima Sister Cities Association. "They were really impressed with how much we invest in our students—from hands-on programs to construction, automotive repair, and early childhood education—the amount that we invest in our children is very different, and they are impressed. They said this is a college-level style education that we're giving our high school students."

The Lima Sister Cities Association last sent students to Harima-cho in 2023.