Hiroyo Kawakatsu, of Japan, stands on Big Rock while her fellow Japanese visitors take photos during a tour of Tawawa Park lead by Parks and Recreation Director Duane Gaier on Thursday, Sept. 21.
Luke Gronneberg | Sidney Daily News
Freytag Associates owner John Freytag, far left, narrates a slideshow presentation on the architectural and transportation history of the city of Sidney to six visitors from Japan as part of a cultural exchange. The Japanese citizens are part of The 2023 Japan-America Grassroots Summit program. Sixty-one residents of various regions of Japan participated in the program of which six are assigned to Sidney until Sunday, Sept. 24. Standing, far right, is Sidney Mayor Mardie Milligan.
Steve Egbert | Sidney Daily News
Sidney Manager Andrew Bowsher, left to right, and Hiroyo Kawakatsu, Yasuko Watanabe, Keiko Murakami and Kazue Suzuki, all of Japan, are taken on a tour of downtown Sidney by Freytag & Associates Inc., Architect John Freytag, of Sidney, on Thursday, Sept. 21.
Luke Gronneberg | Sidney Daily News
Yasuko Watanabe, left to right, Keiko Murakami, Hiroyo Kawakatsu, and Kazue Suzuki, all of Japan, walk across the Zenas King bridge while on a tour of Tawawa Park by Parks and Recreation Director Duane Gaier on Thursday, Sept. 21.
Luke Gronneberg | Sidney Daily News
Hiroyo Kawakatsu, left, and Keiko Murakami, both of Japan, look over the edge of the Zenas King Bridge during a tour of Tawawa Park lead by Parks and Recreation Director Duane Gaier on Thursday, Sept. 21.
Luke Gronneberg | Sidney Daily News
Yasuko Watanabe, of Japan, gets a slice of pie at The Spot during a tour of downtown Sidney held for a group of visiting Japanese visitors on Thursday, Sept. 21.
Luke Gronneberg | Sidney Daily News
Tsutomu Yagi, left to right, and Nanami Mito, both of Japan, have lunch with Sidney Manager Andrew Bowsher at The Spot during a tour of Sidney that Bowsher took Yagi and Mito on, along with others, visiting from Japan on Thursday, Sept. 21.
Luke Gronneberg | Sidney Daily News
Sidney Mayor Mardie Milligan, left to right, and Keiko Murakami, Hiroyo Kawakatsu, and Yasuko Watanabe all of Japan, Freytag & Associates Inc., Architect John Freytag, of Sidney, and Kazue Suzuki, of Japan, eat pie and burgers at The Spot during a tour of Sidney the Japanese visitors were taken on. Freytag took the visitors around downtown Sidney pointing out the historic and significant buildings on Thursday, Sept. 21.
Luke Gronneberg | Sidney Daily News
Six visitors from Japan were greeted in Sidney’s City Hall and presented with local gifts and a slideshow presentation on the architectural history of Sidney as part of the 2023 Japan-America Grassroots Summit on Sept. 21. Standing from left to right are Freytag Associates Owner John Freytag; Tsutomu Yagi; Nanami Mito; Sidney City Manager Andrew Bowsher; Sidney Mayor Mardie Milligan; Yasuko Watanabe; Kazue Suzuki; Keiko Murakami and Hiroyo Kawakatsu.
Charlotte Caldwell | Sidney Daily News
Sidney City Manager Andrew Bowsher explains the Historic Sidney Theatre to Japanese visitors on Sept. 21.
Charlotte Caldwell | Sidney Daily News
Sidney City Manager Andrew Bowsher explains Sidney’s downtown to Japanese visitors on Sept. 21.
Charlotte Caldwell | Sidney Daily News
Yasuko Watanabe, left to right, Hiroyo Kawakatsu, Sidney City Manager Andrew Bowsher, and Keiko Murakami pose in front of the Shelby County Courthouse during a downtown tour for Japanese visitors on Sept. 21.
Charlotte Caldwell | Sidney Daily News
Yasuko Watanabe, left to right, Freytag Associates Owner John Freytag, Hiroyo Kawakatsu, Keiko Murakami and Kazue Suzuki pose in front of the Shelby County Courthouse during a downtown tour for Japanese visitors on Sept. 21.
Charlotte Caldwell | Sidney Daily News
By Charlotte Caldwell
SIDNEY – Six Japanese citizens experienced a crash course of Sidney as part of the 2023, or the 30th, Japan-America Grassroots Summit from Sept. 21-24.
The visitors to Sidney were part of 61 Japanese citizens visiting eight Ohio cities for the weekend. This event is organized by the Japan-America Society of Central Ohio (JASCO) and is the first time the summit has been held in Ohio. The event started with an opening ceremony held at the Ohio Statehouse on Sept. 20, and visitors will stay in their host cities until the closing ceremony at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium on Sept. 24.
For the six Japanese visitors in Sidney – Tsutomu Yagi, Nanami Mito, Yasuko Watanabe, Kazue Suzuki, Keiko Murakami and Hiroyo Kawakatsu – their first day in Sidney started with a presentation from Freytag Associates Owner and Architect John Freytag on the architectural and transportation history of Sidney with examples of buildings past and present. They then went on a downtown tour of Sidney to see the buildings in person with insight from Freytag and Sidney City Manager Andrew Bowsher before ending at The Spot Restaurant for lunch, where they enjoyed Ohio Street Burgers and pie. Afterward, they visited the Big Rock and Zenas King bridge at Tawawa Park with Sidney Parks and Recreation Director Duane Gaier, and in the evening was a welcome reception at Crossway Farms.
Friday’s activities included an Airstream factory tour, lunch at The Bridge, an overview of the Shelby County Historical Society, a tour of the Johnston Farm Museum, a canal boat ride, and local high school football games.
Most of the Japanese citizens visiting Sidney have visited the United States before, with Watanabe saying she’s been eight times. Kawakatsu said she’s been three times with previous visits in California and Hawaii. She chose Sidney because it shares a name with Sydney, Australia, which she has also visited. They were interested to learn about the history of Sidney as well as the day-to-day life and traditions.
The summit has always switched between being hosted in Japan and the United States, so the 2024 summit will be held on July 9-15, 2024, in Wakayama, Japan with United States citizens traveling there. There will be eight local sessions in Wakayama, Hashimoto, Kamitonda, Shirahama, Tanabe, Kushimoto, Nachi Katsuura, and Shingu. For more information, visit http://www.manjiro.or.jp/e/.
