HONOLULU (KHON2) — It was an intimate meeting at the Mission Memorial Auditorium as lei-adorned leaders from Hawaiʻi and Japan gathered for a historic signing event on Nov. 3.
The mayors of Honolulu and Shonai, Japan, signed a Friendship City Agreement — approved with Resolution 25-141 by the Honolulu City Council in May 2025 — officially binding the cities together in their commitment to “educational, cultural and economic exchange.”
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“The friendship between Honolulu and Shonai began 23 years ago when a young man from Shonai studied in Hawai‘i,” Shonai Mayor Toru Togashi said. “Through the warm support of many people, including former Hawai‘i State Senator Mr. Brian Taniguchi and his host family, Ms. Shaunna Gutina Touchi, we have now reached this historic day of the Friendship City signing ceremony.”
The agreement celebrates the bond between the cities, which started after a Shonai student visited Hawaiʻi and led to student exchange programs between schools in Shonai and Mānoa.
“This partnership reflects our shared values of learning, culture, and community,” said Rick Blangiardi, mayor of Honolulu. “By deepening our ties, we are creating opportunities for our keiki and future generations to connect, exchange ideas and build bridges of understanding that will endure for years to come.”
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At the auditorium, the ceremony included cultural performances by the Royal Hawaiian Band Glee Club and students from Ke Kula Kaiapuni ʻo Ānuenue, as well as an exchange of symbolic gifts between the mayors and council leaders…