Sister cities and states around the world

Using the momentum from the 1985 World Science Exposition, Ibaraki Prefecture initiated sisterhood relations in the following year with the region of Emilia-Romagna in Italy, the department of Essonne in France, and the province of Alajuela in Costa Rica (which relationship ended in 1998 due to the dissolution of Costa Rica's provinces as administrative units). Furthermore, as of the end of May 2006, 19 municipalities in Ibaraki have sister city relations with 28 cities worldwide, and there is also active exchange between parks, museums, and educational institutions in Ibaraki with corresponding institutions abroad.

As of January 2007

: sister state with Ibaraki Prefecture

: sister city with a municipality in Ibaraki (US: 13; China: 5; Canada and New Zealand: 2 each; Australia, Germany, Philipines, Belgium, Korea, and Sweden: 1 each)

Local municipality	Sister city/ date relations began	Information about sister city and the relationship
Mito-shi	Anaheim, California, US 12/21/1976	Population: about 345,000 Main industries: Tourism (centered on Disneyland) Impetus for relationship: Introduction by a businessman from Mito living in Anaheim Current exchange: (Annual) Exchange of students via homestays, etc. (11/2005) Sent delegation
Mito-shi	Chonqing, China 6/1985: beginning of exchange 6/2000: sisterhood established	Population: about 31,400,000 Main industries: Heavy industry, manufacturing Impetus for relationship: Request for exchange from Chonqing Current exchange: (10/2005) Asian-Pacific City Summit (7/2005) Received delegation (11/2004) Sent delegation
Hitachi-shi	Birmingham, Alabama, US 4/23/1982	Population: about 240,000 Main industries: Medical services, medical equipment manufacturing, high tech Impetus for relationship: Both cities originally mining towns; introduction by JAMLIF Current exchange: Exchange of delegations and students; exchanged a gift of a stone lantern for a bronze statue; commemorative tree planting; invitation of ALTs
Hitachi-shi	Tauranga, New Zealand 4/18/1988	Population: about 100,000 Main industries: Fruit, cattle raising, maritime trade, tourism Impetus for relationship: Visit of delegation from Hitachi to Tauranga; youth exchange Current exchange: Exchange of delegations and students; invitation of ALTs
Koga-shi	Sanhe, Hebei, China 4/17/1995: beginning of exchange 11/6/1999: sisterhood established	Population: about 450,000 Impetus for relationship: Gave endowment to Sanhe via Japanese SCL Memorial Foundation and sent delegation to tree-planting festival there
Yūki-shi	Mechelen, Antwerp, Belgium 10/31/1996	Population: about 76,000 Main industries: Tapestries, furniture, white asparagus, electronics Impetus for relationship: Introduction by Belgian Tourist Office Japan Current exchange: (2002) Sent goodwill delegation (2002, 2004) Hosted education trainees
Hitachiōta-shi	Yuyao, Zhejiang, China 5/25/1995: beginning of exchange 11/17/1999: sisterhood established	Population: about 825,900 Main industries: Electronic parts, electrical equipment, plastic, food processing, agriculture (fruits and vegetables, tea, rice, horticulture, fish, pork, chicken) Impetus for relationship: Confucian scholar Zhū Shùnshuî, born in Yuyao in the 1600s and buried on Mt. Zuiryū in Hitachi Ōta Current exchange: (2002) Hosted agricultural trainee and sent goodwill delegation (2004) Received delegation (2005) Hosted public administration trainee
Hitachiōta-shi	La Trinidad, Benquet, The Philipines 12/13/1993	Population: about 60,000 Main industries: Agriculture (horticulture, pork, strawberries) Impetus for relationship: Introduction by JOCA Current exchange: (2002, 2003, 2004) Hosted regional administration trainee (2004) Hosted junior high school student
Kita Ibaraki‑shi	Wairoa District, New Zealand 5/8/1999	Population: about 10,300 Main industries: Agriculture (dairy, strawberries, citrus fruits), forestry, food processing, etc. Impetus for relationship: Introduction by Tourism New Zealand, which hosted high schoolers from Kita Ibaraki Current exchange: Annual dispatch of youth goodwill ambassador (mainly high schoolers); Wairoa Project (hosting high schoolers in homestays)
Toride-shi	Yuba City, California, US 10/30/2005	Population: about 54,000 Main industries: Agriculture Impetus for relationship: Inherited relationship upon absorption of Fujishiro-machi Current exchange: Exchange of junior high schoolers; hosting delegations
Ushiku-shi	Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, Canada 4/19/1985	Population: about 23,500 Main industries: Mining (lead, zinc), tourism, hunting, forestry Impetus for relationship: Introduction by the Canadian Embassy in Japan Current exchange: (7/2002, 7/2004) Junior high/high school exchange (inbound) (7/2005) Junior high/high school exchange (outbound)
Ushiku-shi	Orange, New South Wales, Australia 7/28/1990	Population: about 34,000 Main industries: Tourism, agriculture (strawberries, cherries, pears), cattle raising Impetus for relationship: Introduction by the Australia-Japan Foundation Current exchange: (9/2002, 9/2004) Supported exchange between respective high schools (10/2005) Received delegation
Tsukuba-shi	Cambridge, Massechusetts, US 5/8/1984	Population: about 100,000 Main industries: High tech, insurance Impetus for relationship: Introduction by a Tsukuba resident with relations with a university in Cambridge Current exchange: (4/2005) Sent delegation as part of 20th anniversary of relationship
	Irvine, California, US 8/3/1989	Population: about 180,000 Main industries: Medicine, computer-related industry, aerospace Impetus for relationship: Request from Irvine; both cities are new cities with high tech firms, research institutions, etc. Current exchange: (2004) Exchange of junior high schoolers as part of 15th anniversary of relationship
	Milpitas, California, US 7/2/1996	Population: about 65,000 Main industries: Computer-related industry Impetus for relationship: Inherited relationship upon absorption of Kukizaki-machi, which had similarities to Milpitas Current exchange: Exchange of junior high schoolers
	Shenzhen, Guangdong, China 4/1992: beginning of exchange 6/9/2004: sisterhood established	Population: about 7,000,000 Main industries: Manufacturing (electronics, precision) Impetus for relationship: Request from Shenzhen Current exchange: Exchange of delegations (including delegation sent in 2/2003)
Kashima-shi	Yancheng, Jiangsu, China 5/2000: beginning of exchange 11/8/2002: sisterhood established	Population: about 8,100,000 Main industries: Spinning, foodstuffs, chemicals, electronic equipment, agriculture Impetus for relationship: Introduction by J-FCA Current exchange: (2/2003, 9/2003, 5/2004, 4/2005, 7/2005, 9/2005) Received friendship delegation (5/2004) Received economic friendship delegation (10/2004, 10/2005) Sent junior high schoolers (3/2005) Received junior high school table tennis team (7/2005) Hosted performance troupe
Kashima-shi	Seogwipo, Jeju-do, Korea 1999: beginning of exchange 11/26/2003: sisterhood established	Population: about 85,000 Main industries: Tourism, Mandarin oranges Impetus for relationship: Both cities hosted World Cups Current exchange: (2/2004) Sent group from tourist association (3/2004) Sent junior high school soccer team (4/2004) Received group from tourist association (8/2004) Received youth soccer team (9/2004) Kashima's Chamber of Commerce participated in Seogwipo's Chilshimni Festival, and Kashima's Tea Association participated in the International Tea Culture Festival (10/2004) Received Seogwipo's Chamber of Commerce, and sent group of junior high schoolers (11/2004) Dispatch of city employee (9 months) (1/2005) Received dispatch of city employee (1 year) (10/2005) Sent group of junior high schoolers (11/2005) Administration observation visit
Moriya-shi	Mainburg, Bavaria, Germany 11/3/1990	Population: about 11,000 Main industries: Agriculture (hops), construction materials, air-conditioning equipment Impetus for relationship: Introduction by a business in Moriya Current exchange: (2003) Youth Exchange Program (outbound) (2004) Sent mayor and assembly speaker to the 50th anniversary celebration of Mainburg's founding (2005) Youth Exchange Program (outbound) (2005) Official from Mainburg visited for the Tsukuba Express line opening celebration
Moriya-shi	Greeley, Colorado, US 8/3/1993	Population: about 60,000 Main industries: Agriculture (wheat, beet sugar), food processing Impetus for relationship: Moriya's Youth Visit Program sent a group to Greeley, and then Moriya requested a sister city relationship Current exchange: (2003) Youth Exchange Program (inbound) (2004) Youth Exchange Program (outbound) (2005) Youth Exchange Program (inbound) (2005) Mayor of Greeley and his wife visited for the Tsukuba Express line opening celebration
Naka-shi	Oak Ridge, Tennessee, US 10/29/1990	Population: about 28,000 Main industries: Nuclear power research Impetus for relationship: Exchange between the cities' respective nuclear power research facilities Current exchange: (Regular) Exchange of junior high school students (2005) Received delegation for 15th anniversary of relationship
Bandō-shi	Pine Bluff, Arkansas, US 11/9/1986	Population: about 57,000 Main industries: Cereals, cotton Impetus for relationship: Introduction by JAMLIF Current exchange: (2004) Youth Exchange Program (inbound: 2; outbound: 5 and a group of 10) (2005) Youth Exchange Program (inbound: 3; outbound: 2)
Inashiki-shi	Salmon Arm, British Colombia, Canada 3/27/2006	Population: about 12,000 Main industries: Cattle raising, lumber Impetus for relationship: Azuma-machi began relationship on 4/11/1990, merged into Inashiki-shi on 3/18/2005, which then formally began its own relationship on 3/27/2006 Current exchange: Exchange of youth and citizens; exchange of art by elementary and junior high schoolers
Kamisu-shi	Eureka, California, US 11/17/1991	Population: about 50,000 Main industries: Forestry, manufacturing, agriculture, tourism, seafood Impetus for relationship: Observation visit to Eureka as part of an overseas visit program Current exchange: (7/2003, 7/2004, 7/2005) Hosted junior high schoolers (8/2003, 7/2004, 7–8/2005) Sent junior high schoolers
Omitama-shi	Abilene, Kansas, US 10/3/1984	Population: about 8,000 Main industries: Agriculture (wheat, dairy) Impetus for relationship: Dairy farming workshop; purchase of stud bull by former head of an Omitama dairy cooperative Current exchange: (2004) Sent delegation of students and adults (2005) Received delgation
Tōkai-mura	Idaho Falls, Idaho, US 7/3/1981	Population: about 50,000 Main industries: Agriculture (potatoes, wheat), nuclear power research Impetus for relationship: Exchange between the cities' respective nuclear power research facilities Current exchange: (2003, 2005) Sent delegation of students and received delegation of adults (2004) Sent delegation of adults and received delegation of students
Ami-machi	Superior, Wisconsin, US 4/1/1997	Population: about 28,000 Main industries: Petroleum processing, shipbuilding, flour milling, iron ore/coal shipment Impetus for relationship: Introduction by the Japan office of the Wisconsin state government Current exchange: (10/2003, 10/2005) Sent delegation (4/2004) Received delegation (8/2004) Sent junior high schoolers (11/2004) Residents of Superior attended international symposium held in honor of the 7th anniversary of the relationship
Ōarai-machi	Nyköping, Södermanland, Sweden 5/23/2006	Population: about 45,000 Main industries: Light industry, heavy industry (automobile manufacturing), nuclear power research Impetus for relationship: Introduction by the two cities' nuclear power research facilities, which have their own partnership Current exchange: Student exchange; sharing of information at the administration level; industrial cooperation, etc.
Prefectural	Emilia-Romagna, Italy 4/17/1986
Prefectural	Essonne, France 4/22/1986