On Thursday, July 13, Consul General Yuzo Yoshioka and Consul Naoto Shigehisa, representatives of the Consular Office of Japan in Portland, visited Newberg as part of an initiative to get to know the Japanese sister cities better. Newberg’s sister city is Asago City.
Yoshioka is new to his post, having joined as the Consul General in March 2023. His office’s jurisdiction extends from Oregon to the southern parts of Idaho.
Newberg Mayor Bill Rosacker said the trip was brief but productive. In what was largely a “meet-and-greet,” the delegation met outside of City Hall, enjoyed lunch from Hutch and Lucky Barbecue, toured City Hall and the Public Safety Building, and discussed future partnerships.
“We basically welcomed each other and built a relationship that we can grow from,” Mayor Rosacker said. “There didn’t seem to be a specific agenda.”
One topic of discussion was Newberg’s safety rating. Mayor Rosacker said Yoshioka was impressed with Newberg-Dundee’s designation as the second safest city in Oregon (according to a report from 2019).
“We’re always happy to hear that people know how safe the Newberg community is,” Mayor Rosacker said. “But I and the Chief of Police (Chief Jeff Kosmicki), let him know that we’re aiming for the number one spot.”
Mayor Rosacker said he invited local leaders to join the meeting, including Chehalem Valley Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Scott Parker, Taste Newberg President Dennis Lewis, as well as a team from St. Cousair — a locally-based Japanese-owned food and beverage co-packing service provider.
City of Newberg Human Resources Director Alison Seiler has experience with Japanese Culture and advised the Mayor on Japanese customs.
“(Seiler) is very experience in these things,” Rosacker said. “Partially about what to do, but mostly about what not to do. They were very gracious, and I’m sure they overlooked anything we may have done that could have caused offense knowing that we were trying,” he finished with a laugh.
As this is Yoshioka’s first trip to Newberg, Mayor Rosacker said he hopes it’s not the last.
“Usually, they’re making these trips for a reason,” Rosacker said. “There could have been something on their minds we didn’t get to. We’re looking forward to continuing the conversation.”
Newberg’s Sister City: Asago City, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan
Newberg’s sister city relationship started in Wadayama, Japan, in 2000. In 2005, the towns of Asago, Ikuno, and Santō merged to create the city of Asago. Newberg reestablished its relationship between the City of Newberg and Asago City on February 6, 2007.
According to a 2011 report, the City of Newberg chose Wadayama because of the long-standing relationship between Chehalem Valley Middle School and Wadayama Junior High School. In 2000, delegates from Wadayama came to Newberg during the Old Fashioned Festival to solidify the relationship with a signing ceremony.
A sister city agreement pledges “both cities to support the exchange of information to enhance student and community members; the sharing of the unique culture and sports of each city and country; the use of problem-solving experiences; the development of information and relationships between each city’s local industries; and the continuation of the exchange program for students and community members,” according to the Newberg information page about its sister city.
“The unique part of Asago is that visitors can see historic sites from three different eras: the ancient Kofun Period, the late medieval Sengoku Period, and the period of modern industrialization,” according to the Asago City tourism site. “Asago was an important place to the leaders of each era, making it an interesting place to experience the changing of the times in Japan.”
Asago City is well known in Japan for its natural beauty, vast silver mines, and historical sites depicting the continual change of hands over the resource-rich region.
Over the years, Newberg residents and politicians have visited Asago City, from mayors to middle school exchange programs.
“We were invited to repay the visit to Asago City next year,” Rosacker said. “We’ll likely take them up on it—there is a lot of cultural and economic opportunity with a trip like this.”
