In 1987, fortune smiled upon Shawnee when Tokyo Denki Kagaku Kogyo, or TDK came to Shawnee. This event caused our late Mayor Pierre F. Taron, Jr. to seek to establish a Sister Cities relationship with Nikaho, Japan; the location of one of the early TDK factories and birthplace of TDK’s first president, Mr. Saito Kenzo.
In March 1990, dignitaries from Nikaho, Japan made their first visit to Shawnee. The delegation consisted of Mayor Norio Tomoe, Mr. Shunji Miura, Speaker of the Nikaho City Assembly, and Mr. Masahiko Suda, Nikaho City Planner.
In October, 1990, Shawnee officials reciprocated and visited Nikaho, Japan for the formal signing of the sister cities agreement. Mayor Pierre F. Taron, Jr. headed the delegation and was accompanied by Vice Mayor Mike Little, City Commissioner Dick Miller, and Sister Cities Chairman Clay Willis.
Since the official visit in March 1990 through October 1997, Nikaho, Japan has sent 10 delegations to Shawnee.
There have been 8 delegation visits from Shawnee, Oklahoma to Nikaho, Japan from October 1990 through July 1997.
Over the last several years, the sister cities program has grown and matured. Today, both Shawnee and Nikaho send large numbers of students, as well as adults, every year to visit each other. Shawnee and Nikaho have discovered that these visits allow our citizens to have the opportunity to truly learn about their counterparts in their sister city. One of the main highlights of the trip is the Kanto Festival-festival of the lanterns.
Every summer a group of about 10 students and five adults travel to Nikaho to renew our ties, exchange gifts, and spend time together learning about their culture. During the visit to Nikaho, the students and adults stay with host families in order to experience the life in Japan.
Every fall the Nikaho delegation consisting of 12 students and five adults visit Shawnee. During their stay, the delegates are exposed to as many aspects of Shawnee, Oklahoma culture. The delegation experience horseback riding, picnic at the Shawnee Lake, museums, tours of our local businesses, attend activities such as football games, visit the local schools, and do plenty of shopping.