A History of Saratoga Sister City
(based on an original version by John Tauchi)
The cities of Saratoga, California and Muko, Japan initiated the commitment to become sister cities by signing a memorandum of understanding on September 28,1984. The sister city affiliation agreement was signed on November 16, 1984. Both documents were signed by Virginia Laden Fanelli, Mayor, City of Saratoga and Norio Tamiaki, Mayor, City of Muko. The signings occurred during a time when Muko was celebrating the 1200th anniversary of being the Imperial Japanese Capital. A group of 37 Saratoga Sister City members travelled to Muko during November and were invited to participate in various ceremonies and festivities during this auspicious time.
Mr. Kiyoshi Yasui an eminent landscape architect from Muko originated the idea of a sister city relationship during his time as a consultant to develop a master plan for Hakone Gardens.Yasui saw the strong similarities in the demographics of Saratoga and Muko. He also proposed the formation of a group which became the Japanese Bamboo Society of Saratoga reflecting the fact that Muko’s bamboo forest is a prime source for bamboo shoots and bamboo products in Kyoto Prefecture.
After consummation of the sister city agreements the two cities initiated means to maintain close relationships. Muko established a liaison position in the Mayors Office and most sister city matters were handled through city offices. Saratoga had informally organized an ad hoc group prior to the agreements and subsequently the organization handled all exchanges except for ceremonial matters handled by the offices of the City of Saratoga.
Below is an historical chronology which lists the major events that have occurred since the founding of Saratoga Sister City in an abbreviated highlight format. Where more detailed historical information is available it can be accessed by selection. The major events can be categorized by the following summaries:
Group Exchange Visits:
During the first 10 years each city sent a delegation every two years.
During the next 10 years the visit intervals were extended to every three years.
Student Exchanges:
Every summer a student exchange was arranged with each city sending five student ambassadors to live with host families for two weeks. A total of 14 student exchanges were conducted before the program stopped in the year 2000 due to a lack of viability.
Anniversary Celebrations:
Celebrations of the anniversaries of the sister city agreement have been conducted every five years. The celebrations are held alternately in Saratoga and Muko.