Sister Cities
2024/4/10
As of now, more than 40 sister or friendship city relationships have been established between Japan and Southern California & Arizona. Kindhearted citizens have provided homestays for exchange students, official delegations have paid reciprocal visits, and various cultural events have been held, in order for these cities to build stronger ties.
CLAIR (Council of Local Authorities for International Relations)
Sister Cities
Southern Calirofnia
| U.S. City | (County) | ─ | Japan City | (Prefecture) | ─ | Est. | Note |
| Anaheim | (Orange) | ─ | Mito | (Ibaraki) | ─ | 1976 | |
| Brea | (Orange) | ─ | Hanno | (Saitama) | ─ | 1981 | *U.S. Sister City Organization |
| Burbank | (Los Angeles) | ─ | Ota | (Gunma) | ─ | 1984 | *U.S. Sister City Organization |
| Carlsbad | (San Diego) | ─ | Futtsu | (Chiba) | ─ | 1988 | *U.S. Sister City Organization |
| Carson | (Los Angeles) | ─ | Soka | (Saitama) | ─ | 1979 | |
| Chula Vista | (San Diego) | ─ | Odawara | (Kanagawa) | ─ | 1981 | |
| Corona | (Riverside) | ─ | Gotsu | (Shimane) | ─ | 2004 | |
| Culver City | (Los Angeles) | ─ | ]Kaizuka | (Osaka) | ─ | 1965 | |
| Encinitas | (San Diego) | ─ | Amakusa | (Kumamoto) | ─ | 1988 | *Amakusa City was formed in 2006 by the merger of Hondo City and other towns. It succeeds the previous sister city agreement with Encinitas. |
| Fullerton | (Orange) | ─ | Fukui | (Fukui) | ─ | 1989 | *U.S. Sister City Organization |
| Gardena | (Los Angeles) | ─ | Ichikawa | (Chiba) | ─ | 1962 | |
| Glendale | (Los Angeles) | ─ | Higashiosaka | (Osaka) | ─ | 1960 | |
| Glendora | (Los Angeles) | ─ | Moka | (Tochigi) | ─ | 1988 | *U.S. Sister City Organization |
| Hemet | (Riverside) | ─ | Kushimoto Town | (Wakayama) | ─ | 1974 | |
| Hemet | (Riverside) | ─ | Marumori Town | (Miyagi) | ─ | 1990 | |
| Huntington Beach | (Orange) | ─ | Anjo | (Aichi) | ─ | 1982 | *U.S. Sister City Organization |
| Irvine | (Orange) | ─ | Tsukuba | (Ibaraki) | ─ | 1989 | |
| La Mirada | (Los Angeles) | ─ | Isehara | (Kanagawa) | ─ | 1981 | |
| Lomita | (Los Angeles) | ─ | Takaishi | (Osaka) | ─ | 1981 | |
| Long Beach | (Los Angeles) | ─ | Yokkaichi | (Mie) | ─ | 1963 | *U.S. Sister City Organization |
| Los Angeles | (Los Angeles) | ─ | Nagoya | (Aichi) | ─ | 1959 | *U.S. Sister City Organization |
| Montebello | (Los Angeles) | ─ | Ashiya | (Hyogo) | ─ | 1961 | *U.S. Sister City Organization |
| Monterey Park | (Los Angeles) | ─ | Nachikatsuura Town | (Wakayama) | ─ | 1968 | |
| Newport Beach | (Orange) | ─ | Okazaki | (Aichi) | ─ | 1984 | *U.S. Sister City Organization |
| Oceanside | (San Diego) | ─ | Fuji | (Shizuoka) | ─ | 1991 | |
| Oceanside | (San Diego) | ─ | Kisarazu | (Chiba) | ─ | 1990 | |
| Pasadena | (Los Angeles) | ─ | Mishima | (Shizuoka) | ─ | 1957 | |
| Pasadena | (Los Angeles) | ─ | Kasukabe | (Saitama) | 1993 | *Friendship Cities *U.S. Friendship City Organizaion |
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| Rancho Palos Verdes | (Los Angeles) | ─ | Sakura | (Tochigi) | ─ | 2020 | |
| Redlands | (San Bernardino) | ─ | Hino | (Tokyo) | ─ | 1963 | *U.S. Sister City Organization |
| Redondo Beach | (Los Angeles) | ─ | Itoman | (Okinawa) | ─ | 2013 | *U.S. Sister City Organization |
| Riverside | (Riverside) | ─ | Sendai | (Miyagi) | ─ | 1957 | *U.S. Sister City Organization |
| San Bernardino | (San Bernardino) | ─ | Tachikawa | (Tokyo) | ─ | 1959 | *U.S. Sister City Organization |
| San Diego | (San Diego) | ─ | Yokohama | (Kanagawa) | ─ | 1957 | *U.S. Sister City Organization |
| Santa Barbara | (Santa Barbara) | ─ | Toba | (Mie) | ─ | 1966 | *U.S. Sister City Organization |
| Santa Monica | (Los Angeles) | ─ | Fujinomiyia | (Shizuoka) | ─ | 1975 | *U.S. Sister City Organization |
| Santa Monica | (Los Angeles) | ─ | Kizugawa | (Kyoto) | 2016 | *Friendship Cities *U.S. Friendship City Organizaion |
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| Temecula | (Riverside) | ─ | Daisen Town | (Tottori) | ─ | 1994 | *U.S. Sister City Organization |
| Torrance | (Los Angeles) | ─ | Kashiwa | (Chiba) | ─ | 1973 | *U.S. Sister City Organization |
| West Covina | (Los Angeles) | ─ | Ohtawara | (Tochigi) | ─ | 2007 | *West Covina had a sister city relationship with Kurobane Town since 2004. Due to the merger of the town to Ohtawara City, West Covina signed a new agreement of the sister city relationship with Ohtawara in 2007. |
Arizona
| U.S. City | (County) | ─ | Japan City | (Prefecture) | ─ | Est. | Note |
| Avondale | (Maricopa) | ─ | Kaizu | (Gifu) | ─ | 1933 | |
| Phoenix | (Maricopa) | ─ | Himeji | (Hyogo) | ─ | 1976 | *U.S. Sister City Organization |
Others
| U.S. City | (County) | ─ | Japan City | (Prefecture) | ─ | Est. | Note |
| Alhambra | (Los Angeles) | ─ | Kirishima | (Kagoshima) | ─ | *The informal goodwill relationships between two cities started in 2007. |
