It's that time of year that Wapakoneta plays host to teenagers from their sister city in Germany.
The cherry blossoms may not have been in full bloom, but the fun was at the annual Lima Sister Cities Association’s Cherry Blossom Festival.
The Lima Sister Cities Association is inviting the public to attend its annual Cherry Blossom Festival on Saturday at the Japanese Garden in downtown Lima.
Lima's Mayor Sharetta Smith welcoming the Harima-cho Deputy Mayor, Board of Education Staff member, and Collaboration Promotion Dept. Chief to Lima on Monday. The group took tours around the city, and at the Ford Engine Plant, before attending the Lima City Council Meeting Monday night.
They have been exchanging cultural, educational, and business ideas for many years, with this year being a special milestone. It has been 25 years since the City of Lima and Harimo-cho, Japan, signed an agreement to become sister cities. Since 1999, more than 300 people have participated in cultural exchanges. Both adults and students from both cities have had the privilege to experience life in the other sister city community. There will be several special guests at this year's celebration.
Lima Sister Cities Association is celebrating a 25-year relationship with Harima-cho, Japan. To help mark the quarter century of friendship and collaboration, the organization is starting a large project to document the history of the sister city partnership. They are looking for old photos, videos, and even some short letters either from trips to Japan or from people hosting representatives of Harima-cho here in Lima. The project will not only show the cultural exchange between the two cities but also the growth of the program over the last two decades.