No.164 Realizing Homestay in Foster City

In September 2020, the Inagi City Sister and Friendship City Exchange Association (hereinafter referred to as the "Exchange Association") was established, and since the sister city partnership agreement was signed with Foster City, California, USA in July 2021, exchanges between the two cities have begun.

In October 2022, members of the Foster City Sister City Association visited Inagi and inspected the "I no Machi Inagi Citizen Festival," where a welcome party and exchange meeting were held.

In July of Reiwa 5, players, coaches, and Parents or Guardians from the men's and women's soccer teams of Foster City visited Inagi. We held a welcome party, joint practice sessions and friendly matches with Inagi City's soccer teams, and watched a Tokyo Verdy match.

In August of Reiwa 6, players, coaches, and Parents or Guardians from Foster City Little League visited Inagi, where a welcome party, exchange games with Inagi Little League, and coaching by the Yomiuri Giants were held.

On the other hand, visits from Inagi City to Foster City, excluding inspections for the preparation of the Sister City partnership, have only been conducted once during a citizen tour held in February of Reiwa 5 (2023).

The original purpose of the overseas Sister City partnership is to promote internationalization among the children of Inagi, and we wanted to create opportunities for children to visit the United States at an early stage. This summer, for the first time, we were able to send six high school students to stay with host families in Foster City.

This time, in November of Reiwa 6, we recruited applicants and received 16 applications. One person declined, so the Exchange Association conducted interviews with 15 people and selected 6. During the interviews, the selection focused not only on English conversation skills but also on self-expression and the ability to promote Japanese culture.

After that, over about six months, we held two orientations and four preliminary training sessions, studied the city of Foster City, organized what we wanted to do during the stay, and prepared to introduce ourselves and Inagi City locally before departure.

At the send-off party held on July 26, all six participants made wonderful declarations of determination, which deeply moved us who are cheering them on.

By the way, when the implementation of the homestay was decided, I also promised to participate on-site and encourage the children. However, due to the city's limited budget, I have decided to cover the expenses myself and combine this trip to the United States with sightseeing.

The schedule for traveling to the United States is as follows: the homestay group will stay for 8 nights and 10 days from August 2 to 11, and I will stay for 5 nights and 7 days from August 2 to 8. On August 4, we joined at Foster City City Hall and paid a courtesy visit to Mayor Stacey Jimenez and other city council members.

Thanks to their preparation, the six high school students were able to successfully introduce themselves and explain Inagi City.

Although it was only a 10-day schedule, staying with a host family you meet for the first time in a foreign country for a week must have been an unforgettable experience for each individual.

While embracing foreign languages and cultures, we hope that many internationally minded individuals who also hold civic pride for their hometown where they were born and raised, as well as a deep respect for Japan, will grow up in Inagi City.

We would like to express our sincere gratitude to everyone at the Exchange Association for their great support during the implementation of this program, and especially to the two officers who accompanied the homestay. We take this opportunity to extend our thanks.

From fiscal year 2026 onward, we will continue to consider the continuation and expansion of the project.