August 15, 2006

Kameoka's new municipal JET, Nina Maturu, visited Mayor Kuriyama's office on August 3, 2006. They discussed her first impressions of Kameoka and her goals for teaching in Kameoka for the coming year.

This is her first time in Japan, and her first impressions of Kameoka were positive. She told the mayor that she was impressed by the beautiful scenery and friendliness of the people in Kameoka. She was also surprised by the heat. "I look forward to teaching in Japan for the next year. I hope I can give the children of Kameoka a different perspective on American culture," Nina says

Nina is from Tyson's Corner, Virginia in the United States. She enjoys music, basketball and making clothes, and is interested in doing pottery while in Japan. She will be teaching at middle schools and elementary schools within the city.

July 28, 2006

Andrea Herford, an Assistant Language Teacher on the JET Program, made her farewell visit to Mayor Kuriyama on July 18, 2006. Andee has been an ALT in Kameoka for two years, teaching English at Elementary and Middle schools within the city. During her second year, Andee was in charge of fourteen elementaries as well as Taisei Middle School and the Fureai Class.(Special Needs Center)

Andee is a native of Edmond, Oklahoma. Upon her return to the United States, Andee plans to get married. She will return to Japan next year to live with her husband.

About her time here, Andee says the following: "I am luck to have been able to be an ALT in Kameoka. I will never forget you all. Thank you for all the memories that we could make together over the past two years."

May 22, 2006

Associate Professor Paul Hsu and eleven students from Oklahoma State University's Landscape Architecture program made their annual visit to Japan in order to further their studies of Japanese gardens. This is Professor Hsu's eighth group from OSU.

The group made their official courtesy visit to the mayor's office on May 15th. At the visit, Professor Hsu presented Mayor Kuriyama with a letter from Stillwater Mayor Roger L. MicMillian and one from OSU President David J. Schmidly, as well as a necktie, baseball cap, and stuffed mascot from OSU.

The students expressed their gratitude to Mayor Kuriyama and the citizens of Kameoka for their warm hospitality. They also discussed karaoke at length with the mayor, having experienced karaoke for the first time in Kameoka. The students appeared to be enjoying their trip thus far and were very excited to learn more about Japanese gardens and culture.

November 20, 2005

Delegations from Kameoka's four Sister Cites (Knittelfeld, Austria; Jandira, Brazil; Stillwater, USA; and Suzhou, China) visited Kameoka from October 30th through November 7th. They participated in the Anniversary Ceremony on November 3rd at Galleria Kameoka by giving congratulatory speeches to the citizens of Kameoka as well as putting letters to the children of the future into a time capsule alongside Mayor Kuriyama, to be opened fifty years in the future at Kameoka's 100th Anniversary. They also participated in cultural exchange events and sightseeing during their stay in Kameoka.

Siegfried Schafarik, Mayor
Edith Pirker, City Council Member
Peter Klockl, City Council Member
Dr. Rudolf Holzer, City Council Member
Peter Eisenschmied, City Council Member

aulo Henrique Barjud, Mayor
Paulo Fernandes Cubaquini, Director of the Board of Education
Edson Akira Mihara, Director of City Development and
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 Construction
Yasuharu Fijimoto, Accompanying Staff
Fernando de Souza Monteiro, Event Coordinator

Bud Lacy, Mayor
Tom Dugger, City Commissioner
Larry Jones, Sister City Council Chair
Sistie Givens, Sister City Council Member
Cindy Petree, Sister City Council Member and
　　　　　　　　　　Sister School Coordinator

Wu Wen Yuan, Suzhou City People's Congress Vice Chairman
Zhou Wen Sheng, Suzhou City People's Congress Standing
　　　　　　　　　　　　　Committee Assistant Chief
Jin Yu Lin, Agriculture Department Assistant Chief
Zhang Xiao Song,Census Bureau Assistant Chief
Quian Jun Ze, Foreign Affairs Department Head