2017 marks the 50th anniversary of Berkeley's sister city relationship with Sakai!  Thank you for celebrating with us!

Updated Nov. 18, 2017

Sakai is Berkeley’s first sister city and over the years the Berkeley-Sakai Association has maintained our sister city relationship through student exchanges, cultural exchanges, goodwill visits, and city government relations.

In celebration of our 50 years of goodwill and friendship with Sakai, we did activities and events for the people of Berkeley and their friends to enjoy, share, experience, and participate in our sister city relationship.

Festivity planning:

•     50th Anniversary poster - 50th Anniversary Poster, Membership Information
•     Workshops at UC Botanical Garden to celebrate 50th year Anniversary. We are working with the UCBG to arrange the workshops and schedule. The workshops will be on Chabana flower arranging (Barbara Strauss), Origami (Bernie Peyton), Japanese wood working (Jay Van Arsdale), Textile and Bonsai to be arranged by UCBG.  Dates set aside for the workshops are:
  • Saturday: July 8, 2017 ----------   Folk Textiles of Japan with Yoshiko Wada 10 AM-12PM
  • Sunday: July 9, 2017 ------------   Film Screening with Filmmaker Mary Lance 6-8 PM
  • Sunday: August 13, 2017 -------   Traditional Japanese Hand Tools and Joinery with Jay Van Arsdale 10 AM-4 PM
  • Sunday: September 17, 2017 ---   Chabana Flower Arranging with Barbara Strauss 10am -11:30 am
  • Sunday: October 22, 2017-------   Family Day at the Garden: Japanese Arts & Crafts
  • Sunday November 12, 2017 -----   Origami: Where Art meets Science with Bernie Peyton    

http://botanicalgarden.berkeley.edu

2017 Events:

•     Official visits between the Mayors of Sakai and Berkeley
  •  Sakai City Mayor Osami Takeyama will visit Berkeley April 19-23, 2017  Itinerary for Mayor Takeyama's Visit
  • Berkeley Mayor Jesse Arreguin has been formally invited by Sakai to visit during the Goodwill trip in October.
•     Goodwill Visit to Sakai by Berkeley-Sakai Association members  Oct. 12-15, 2017, 2017 Goodwill Visit to Sakai
•     Art Exhibit, April 18-21, 2017 and welcoming reception for Mayor Takeyama, April 20, 2017,  at the Berkeley Art Center.  Ten artists will be displaying their Japanese themed work in celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the Berkeley-Sakai Sister City relationship and the 50th Anniversary for the Berkeley-Sakai Art Center.  Hideo Date will perform at the Mayor's reception April 20, 2017. 
  
  • InFusion Art Exhibit  

•   Cultural evening at UC Botanical Garden April 21, 2017 (during Mayor Takeyama's visit) with a Jazz-koto music performed by Shirley Muramoto, and Rockwell Winery wine tasting.
  •   The tea ceremony was perfected by Sen-no-Rikyu in Sakai.  Please visit http://botanicalgarden.berkeley.edu 
•     Japanese woodworking and knife exhibits.  Sakai knives are world famous.
•     Tree planting ceremony for 50th Anniversary at UC Botanical Garden, April 21, 2017
•     Sake tasting at Takara Sake, Berkeley with performance by Tatsumaki Taiko, April 22, 2017,  Takara Sake Program
•     Rare book exhibit on Tea Ceremony at the East Asian Library at UC Berkeley.
•     Student Exchange, Sakai students visit Berkeley July 28-August 2, 2017
•     Girl Scout Exchange, Sakai Girl Scouts visit Berkeley July 28-August 6, 2016
•     Alumni/ Student exchange/ Girl Scout  BBQ

    Senshu Marathon, 2017 Senshu Marathon

    Goodwill Trip to Sakai, Oct. 12-16, 2017 followed by tour to Nara, Kyoto, Takayama, Motsumoto, Minakami, Nikko anf Tokyo

     Please visit our Facebook page and frequent us at at berkeley-sakai.org