2025 Online Workshop
May 21, 2024 - Online
On May 21, 2025, CJSCN held its annual online workshop via Zoom with two other co-hosts: the Consulates General of Japan in San Francisco and in Los Angeles.
Themed “From Fandom to Friendship: Pop Culture as a Gateway for Youth Engagement”, there were almost 140 registrations, including sister city organization leaders, business leaders, and other community stakeholders. Overall, approximately 36 California cities and 12 Japanese cities were represented.
Once again, the Consulate General of Japan in San Francisco acted as the Zoom host and emcee for the event, and we are grateful for all the support they provided, as well as the support given by the Consulate General of Japan in Los Angeles.
The event began with words of welcome from San Francisco Consul General Yo Osumi, Los Angeles Consul General Kenko Sone, and CJSCN Board President Meg Mizutani. We received a video message from Carlo Capua, Sister Cities International’s Board Chair about SCI’s recent activities at the Osaka EXPO and the U.S.-Japan Sister Cities Summit to be held in September 2025 in Izumisano, Osaka.
After the opening presentations, we went straight into our first breakout session for basic networking. Due to the large number of attendees, there were 15 breakout rooms in total, including two rooms dedicated to Japanese speakers.
The main presentation “From Fandom to Friendship: Pop Culture as a Gateway for Youth Engagement” was moderated by Steven Sigafus, Vice President of CJSCN and President of The San Diego-Yokohama Sister City Society.
The presentation featured three speakers:
“Case Study: Anime to Action” – Alexandria Horn, San Diego Yokohama Sister City Society
“Building a Blueprint for Pop Culture Diplomacy” – Nao Kondo, Sunnyvale Sister City Association
“Industry Perspective on Japanese Pop Culture” – Dennis-Michael Broussard, San Diego International Sister Cities Association
The presenters explored how Japanese pop culture - anime, manga, J-pop, and more - can strengthen sister city connections and engage new generations. The presentation also showcased actionable strategies and successful events to inspire dynamic, meaningful cultural exchange.
We then held a 30-minute breakout session where participants were prompted to discuss takeaways from the presentation and how they can potentially incorporate pop culture in their youth engagement.
While the workshop finished at the end of the second breakout session, the participants were encouraged to stay for additional networking. This time, it was a self-select style session, with five rooms with pre-set themes, such as a Q&A with the presenters, a Q&A about SCI’s US-Japan Sister Cities Summit, and free networking rooms. One room was dedicated to the Japanese-speaking participants. Engaging conversations in each room continued until the very end.
CJSCN would like to once again express our deep gratitude to Consul General Osumi, Consul General Sone, and the fantastic consulate staff from San Francisco and Los Angeles who made this online workshop possible; to our fabulous sponsors who continue to support our mission; and to all of the sister city stakeholders from both California and Japan. We believe that together we will make our network strong, and we look forward to seeing everyone again at the next event!
Resources
Recording of event on Youtube (also embedded below)