Statistical Information for Miyazaki City, Japan
| Population: |
1,128,412 |
| Area (Square Miles): |
7,734 |
| Prefectural Flower: |
Crinum |
| Prefectural Wood: |
Phoenix Palm |
| Prefectural Bird: |
Japanese Pheasant |
| Main Events: |
Dai-sai |
| Mound Festival Products: |
Mushroom, Beef Sake (Shochu), Orange |
Miyazaki City, Japan, and the City of Virginia Beach have enjoyed a Sister City relationship since 1992, following more than a year as “Friendship Cities”.
Many Mayoral Delegations to the Virginia Beach’s Sister City of Miyazaki, Japan, have been conducted with the most resent being July 7 through July 29, 2008, when Councilman Wood represented the Mayor and led the Delegation, consisting of his wife Rebecca B. Wood, Mary Russo, Director – Volunteer Resources, Mary Cole, Programming and Operations Administrator – Parks and Recreation, Linda Minner – Media and Communications, her husband Scott W. Minner – Art Teacher, Bayside Elementary, Ruth Hodges Fraser – Liaison to the Mayor’s Sister City Commission and her husband, Captain Donald M. Fraser. The delegates dedicated their park, Haginodai, which was built utilizing the pattern of Mount Trashmore, and celebrated the fifteenth anniversary of Sister City exchanges, during which time Miyazaki City has modeled Virginia Beach’s Volunteer program, and Virginia Beach has established the Miyazaki Garden at Red Wing Park. The objectives were to participate in the 2008 International Volunteer Conference, the Miyazaki City Summer Festival, research the ways to promote sister city relationships in broader angles such as eco-tourism, technical support, volunteer information and organizational efforts for networking, as well as fostering friendship of the Sister City, Miyazaki.
On the fifth anniversary visit of the Miyazaki Mayoral Delegation (1997), Mayor Tsumura determined that Miyazaki would create a volunteer program patterned after Virginia Beach. A Miyazaki Mayoral Delegation made a very successful visit to our beautiful city on November 7, 1998, for the first ever International Volunteer Conference.
The Second INTERNATIONAL VOLUNTEER SUMMIT was held in Miyazaki City, Japan on October 23-24, 1999. More than 150,000 "Volunteers", leaders and organizers participated in the Summit to which Virginia Beach had been invited. Mayor Oberndorf and Mary Russo were keynote speakers as well as coordinated the public forum. Mayor Tsumura, Royal Princess Sayako and the Prime Minister of Education in Japan attended. The Summit was held at the Sea Gaia Hotel in Miyazaki. The Virginia Beach delegation was headed by Mayor Meyera E. Oberndorf, escorted by Dr. and Mrs. Hiroyuki Hamada who also served as Interpreters. Council Lady Margaret Eure as well as School Superintendent Dr. Timothy Jenny and two of his executive staff members, accompanied the delegation. The press was represented by JoAnn Clegg who writes for The Beacon and the Virginian-Pilot. Councilman Jim Wood represented the Rotary Clubs and Mr. Ken Jessup represented the disabled community. Ruth Smith, City Clerk, who chaired the 1998 International Conference and serves as Liaison to the Mayor's Sister City Commission, assisted in coordinating this venture. Several Virginia Beach Volunteer Coordinators also accompanied the Mayor's delegation.