The Japan-America Society of Northwest Florida will host a reception at Pensacola City Hall on Friday, July 10, to welcome guests from Pensacola’s Japanese sister city, Gero.

The event is in celebration of the 10th anniversary of sister city relations between Pensacola and Gero.

The sister city relationship actually dates back to 1993, when when Mr. Tsuneji Taguchi, Education Superintendent of the Town of Hagiwara, visited Pensacola. A youth exchange program was launched the following year between Hagiwara junior high schools and Pensacola’s Brown-Barge Middle School.

The City of Pensacola and the Town of Hagiwara formally signed a sister city agreement in 1998. In 2004, Hagiwara became one of five towns incorporated as the new City of Gero, and this new municipal government signed a sister city agreement with the City of Pensacola on Aug. 17, 2005.

The reception will take place from 3:30 to 5 p.m. in the Hagler-Mason Conference Room on the second floor of Pensacola City Hall, 222 W. Main St. It has been made possible thanks to a grant from the JTB USA branch in Miami.

The Gero delegation will include the following individuals:

• Mr. Tetsuji Ohya, Superintendent, School Board, City of Gero

• Mr. Hidehiro Hattori, City Council member, City of Gero

• Mr. Masafumi Tsuchikawa, Director of Pensacola-Gero Association and Director of Promotion and Development of Osaka in Gero, City of Gero

• Mr. Anthony Biondolillo, Coordinator, International Programs, School Board, City of Gero

The reception is free and open to the public, but attendees must RSVP in advance. If you wish to attend, please email [email protected] with your name and phone number.

For more information, email [email protected] or visit jasnwfl.org.