Los Angeles Summer In-person Workshop

July 12, 2025 - Los Angeles, CA

​​On July 12, 2025, the CJSCN Summer Workshop was held at the Official Residence of the Consul General of Japan in Los Angeles. The event was co-hosted by the California-Japan Sister Cities Network (CJSCN) and the Consulates General of Japan in Los Angeles and San Francisco.

It was attended by 70 people, including sister city leaders representing 23 sister cities, elected officials, youth leaders, and representatives of businesses and Japanese governmental organizations in Southern California. The workshop was emceed by CJSCN Board Member, Bryan Takeda.

The event began with words of welcome from the Consul General of Los Angeles, Kenko Sone. Consul General Sone emphasized the important roles that the U.S.-Japan sister city community plays in strengthening the two countries’ bilateral ties. His speech was followed by remarks from CJSCN Board President, Meg Mizutani, who emphasized the shared mission of youth empowerment among the workshop’s diverse participants and encouraged them to engage in meaningful dialogue and learn from one another throughout the event. Next, California State Assemblymember Catherine Stefani shared a heartfelt video message explaining the importance of grassroots diplomacy by sharing her personal story.

The first section of the workshop was pitch-style presentations, by the numerous non-sister city participants listed below:

1. Japanese Prefectural Association​ of Southern California

2. TJSC - Teachers of Japanese in Southern California

3. JETAASC - JET Alumni Association ​of Southern California & Arizona

4. NTA America​ - Nippon Travel Agency America

5. IACE Travel

6. Aniplex of America

7. Bandai Namco ​Toys & Collectibles America

8. Pony Canyon Music Publishing

9. SPJA - Society for the Promotion of Japanese Animation

10. Toei Animation

11. Japan Foundation ​Los Angeles

12. JETRO​ - Japan External Trade Organization

13. JNTO​ - Japan National Tourism Organization

14. Japan House​ Los Angeles

In addition to the description of their business or program, each speaker presented their vision of how they can collaborate with sister city programs, especially for youth empowerment. Many of them shared transformative personal experiences they had through U.S.-Japan cultural exchange programs.

The next section was titled “People-Powered Diplomacy: Sister Cities as a Bridge for Trust, Innovation, and Resilience” by the following three sister city presenters:

• Bryan Takeda, CJSCN Board Member (Pasadena-Mishima) - “Foundations of Trust: The Power of People-Powered Diplomacy”

• Hannah Majidi, CJSCN Board Member (Glendora-Moka) - “Full Circle: A Life Shaped by Exchange”

• Dr. Eric Osborne (Glendora-Moka) - “A Lifetime of Friendship: Lessons from the Moka Exchange”

The workshop completed with a lively networking session, with refreshments prepared by the Consul General’s chef. Participants were encouraged to create new connections, exchange ideas, and discuss collaboration opportunities.

CJSCN would like to express our deepest gratitude to Consul General Sone and Mrs. Sone for hosting this event at their residence and for their support of sister city programs. We would also like to thank consulate staff in Los Angeles for making this successful event possible and fostering meaningful connections among participants.

Resources

• Presentation slides from Bryan Takeda, CJSCN Board Member (Pasadena-Mishima) - “Foundations of Trust: The Power of People-Powered Diplomacy”