The Itoman City Welcome Dinner concluded with the everyone enthusiastically dancing the Okinawan folk Kachaashi with Okinawan folk music by Choichikai at the Bluewater Grill in Redondo Beach on Friday, Aug. 8, 2025 (Cultural News Video)
Redondo Beach, CA (August 2025)– In a heartwarming celebration of international friendship, a delegation of 45 individuals from Itoman City, including Mayor Shinei Tōme, visited Redondo Beach from Aug. 7 to 11 to commemorate the 10th anniversary of their sister city relationship.
The delegation, which included members of the Itoman Chamber of Commerce, the Itoman Ladies Group and Friends, and the Chibana Group, participated in various cultural exchanges in Redondo Beach, attending the Nisei Week events in Little Tokyo and enjoying a baseball game of the Dodgers.
On Aug. 8, the Itoman City Welcome Dinner was held at the Bluewater Grill in Redondo Beach. The event saw the presence of the Mayor Jim Light of Redondo Beach, city officials, city council members, and Mr. Haruo Takehana, President of the Japanese Chamber of Commerce of Southern California, and Vicky Oshiro Nishiuchi, President of the Okinawa Association of America, those who warmly welcomed the visitors from Itoman.
Both cities, with populations of 60,000, share many similarities, including a warm climate, coastal areas, ports, and a thriving tourism industry. Water sports such as sailing, kayaking, and surfing are popular in both locations.
The Itoman Chamber of Commerce celebrated its 50th anniversary last year, and this visit to the United States was part of the anniversary celebrations.
The two cities established their sister city agreement in 2013, but their relationship dates back to 2012 when they initiated a homestay program for junior high school students from Itoman City. This program was suspended after 2019 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but discussions during this visit aimed to resume the program.
In November last year, Itoman City hosted a ceremony to commemorate the 10th anniversary of its sister city agreement with Redondo Beach. The event was graced by the presence of Mayor Light of Redondo Beach, who visited Itoman City for the occasion.
As part of the celebrations, a sold-out music festival was held on Nov. 3, 2024 at the 500-seat Kukuru Hall in Itoman. The event featured performances by the Island Crooners, led by Gerald Ishibashi from Los Angeles, and the Medical Jazz Orchestra, which consists of 10 medical doctors from Okinawa. The festival was a memorable event, celebrating the strong cultural ties between the two cities.
The sister city agreement between the two cities was facilitated by Tamiko Uehara, originally from Itoman City and now residing in San Gabriel. Uehara has supported various grassroots exchanges at the citizen level and has been appointed as an "Uchina Ambassador" by Okinawa Prefecture and a "Hometown Ambassador" by Itoman City.
From left: Itoman Mayor Shinei Tome, Itoman’s Hometown Ambassador Tamiko Uyehara, and Redondo Beach Mayor Jim Light. (Cultural News Photo)
