Kurashiki Week 2007

Official Kurashiki Week website (Japanese)

In 2007, Kurashiki will celebrate the 35th anniversary of the establishment of its sister city relationship with Kansas City, Missouri. As part of the events scheduled to celebrate this anniversary, Kurashiki has decided to send a delegation of approximately 400 people, mainly young people, to Kansas City to participate in the project called "Kurashiki Week 2007 in Kansas City." The delegation will participate in a week-long schedule of events and activities (from July 25 through August 1) designed to promote mutual understanding and exchanges between the citizens of both cities.

Kurashiki is actively working to become "A Shining City, with Bright Citizens." It also has the goal of becoming known as a "International Culture City." One of the main ways that Kurashiki is trying to achieve these goals is by raising a new generation of young people that will be able to make positive contributions not only to Kurashiki, but to international society as a whole.

The 3 main objectives of the "Kurashiki Week 2007 in Kansas City" project are as follows:

• To celebrate the 35th anniversary of the Kurashiki-Kansas City Sister City relationship, while at the same time, to deepen the mutual understanding of the citizens of both cities through exchanges based on culture, sports, trade, commerce and tourism.
• To increase the international awareness of Kurashiki's young people by sending them abroad as "Young Ambassadors." Kurashiki also hopes to improve the overall English-speaking ability of its young people by giving them the opportunity to use the English they have learned in situations that they can only experience in an environment full of native English speakers.
• The Kurashiki City Municipal Ordinance Related to the Promotion of International Peace Exchanges went into effect on April 1, 2006. The City desires, through programs such as "Kurashiki Week 2007 in Kansas City," to deepen the understanding of international peace among its citizens through mutual discussions and exchange activities.

Links and more information

Kurashiki's International Affairs page on Kurashiki Week

Official Kurashiki Week website (Japanese)

Tentative Schedule of Events PDF (subject to change)