Sister City Delegation Returns from Japan Anniversary Celebration

Mayor Will Joyce and City Manager Brady Moore returned this week from a weeklong trip to Japan, where they celebrated 40 years of friendship between Stillwater and its sister city of Kameoka.

The visit coincided with Kameoka's 70th anniversary as an incorporated city, bringing together representatives from sister cities in Austria, Brazil and Taiwan for ceremonies that included tree plantings, cultural performances and a traditional sake barrel ceremony.

The trip's most poignant moment came when Kameoka honored Larry Jones, 89, a Stillwater resident who has championed the sister city relationship for decades through his newspaper columns and volunteer work. Jones was one of three people recognized for contributions to Kameoka over the past 40 years.

"Larry was specifically invited to be honored by the city of Kameoka," Joyce said Monday at the City Council meeting. "It was a really nice ceremony, and he was able to speak about his dear wife."

Jones' late wife, Kayo, who died Sept. 20, 2024, was also honored for her contributions to the partnership. More than 500 Kameoka residents attended the celebration.

"At the ceremony where Larry was honored, afterwards we saw multiple ladies that Larry had impacted their lives and were in tears and wanted to embrace him," Moore said. "It was just really cool to see."

The delegation also encountered a 91-year-old Kameoka resident who excitedly showed them a worn scrapbook from his 1998 visit to Stillwater for an Oklahoma State University homecoming parade as part of a Kameoka delegation.

City Director of Engineering Bill Millis looks through postcards from Kameoka students with handwritten drawings and messages. One card asks all Stillwater citizens to visit and another depicts Edmon Low Library, Pistol Pete and an anime character with the phrase "Friends Forever" written in english. – Photos by Chris Peters

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Expanding Cultural Ties

Both mayors discussed expanding the exchange programs that have defined the relationship since its establishment Nov. 3, 1985.

Kameoka Mayor Katsuragawa Takahiro proposed creating opportunities for high school students, college students and even city employees to participate in extended exchanges between the communities.

"He was talking about like older exchange programs having you know high school students and then college students and even like he proposed an idea of like city having city workers, folks who work for the city of Stillwater go over and work with them for several months at a time," Joyce said.

The mayor said more Stillwater residents should experience the cultural exchange.

"We want more people from this community to be able to go and to experience those folks," Joyce said.

Shared Values, Shared Challenges

Joyce noted similarities between the two cities during discussions with Kameoka officials about urban planning challenges.

"We have a lot to learn from each other about the fact that if we want our cities to succeed we have to turn them into places where people want to live," Joyce said.

Kameoka, located in a mountainous region about an hour from Kyoto, has an agriculture and education-based economy similar to Stillwater's. The city of approximately 90,000 people made history as the first Japanese municipality to ban plastic bags to protect its Hozu River.

Jacie Gray, an Oklahoma State University graduate who now works in Kameoka's international relations department, assisted with translations during the visit.

New Beer Honors Partnership

The Mayor also shared Iron Monk Brewing will soon release "Shimai-Toshi" — Japanese for "sister cities" — a Japanese-style beer featuring custom artwork depicting landmarks from both communities. The delegation presented the beer can artwork to Kameoka officials during the visit.

The delegation also planted a cherry tree outside Kameoka City Hall alongside representatives from the city's other sister cities in Knittelfeld, Austria, Jandira, Brazil. All of Kameoka's sister and friendship cities sent representatives except for one in Suzhou, China.

The Stillwater delegation returned with various items from their trip to Kameoka Japan including an art piece by Kurimoto Natsuki titled "Friendship" at the Oct. 6, 2025 City Council Meeting. The art will be displayed in the Stillwater Community Center. – Photos by Chris Peters

Student Exchanges Continue

Stillwater Middle School will send seventh-grade students to Kameoka later this month, continuing an exchange program that connects students with Taisei Junior High School. Joyce visited the school last year with a student group.

Kameoka students will visit Stillwater in 2026 for the first time since 2023, staying with host families and attending classes.

The sister city partnership began following a 1985 sister state agreement between Oklahoma and Kyoto Prefecture. The Stillwater Sister Cities Council has coordinated numerous cultural, educational, business and governmental exchanges over four decades, earning multiple awards from Sister Cities International.

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📺 Watch the Presentation at City Council