Sausalito Sister Cities
Sausalito has established Sister City relationships with three cities, Sakaide, Japan, Vina del Mar, Chile and Cascais, Portugal. The purpose of the Sister City program is to promote and facilitate people-to-people relationships between individuals in both cities and a deeper understanding of the cultures, societies, and histories of each city. Sausalito’s first Sister City was established in 1960 with Vina del Mar, Chile, at which time Sausalito renamed our central plaza to Vina del Mar park. Sakaide, Japan, was established in 1988, not long after the completion of the Seto Ohashi Bridge. Sakaide sits at the terminus of the bridge which spans Japan’s Inland Sea, much like Sausalito sits at the edge of the Golden Gate Bridge. Cascais, Portugal is the most recent addition with the relationship formalized in 2013.
The focus of each program is different. The Sakaide program was established as a student exchange program. Each year high school age students from Japan visit Sausalito, or Sausalito students visit Japan for a 10 day immersion into culture and community. Cascais is a youth sailing exchange program with the same exchange schedule. This past 4th of July, Sausalito hosted a group of high school sailors from the Cascais Clube Naval de Cascais for a 5 day regatta. Next summer, Cascais will host Sausalito sailors for a regatta, allowing our local kids to experience the Cascais culture. The Vina del Mar program has evolved into a women’s economic exchange with coordination between the two cities to encourage economic development by women owned businesses.
To find out more about any of these program check out the Sausalito Sister City website at sausalitosistercities.org.
Photo Courtsey of Sausalito Sister Cities
