Considered an effective way to connect people and promote cultural and commercial ties across countries, the concept of international sister cities has been popular in Japan from the second half of the twentieth century. The first such relationship was established in 1955 – between Nagasaki in Kyushu Prefecture and St. Paul in Minnesota in the United States – with an intention to promote peace and understanding. Since 1958 our home town of Matsumoto has forged multiple international relationships with the first of those, with Salt Lake City in the United States, being the first such agreement of any place in Nagano Prefecture Salt Lake City / Utah / United States […]