April 20, 2018
Dear Residents of District 2,
Last week, four council colleagues, City staff, and I visited Okayama, Japan in recognition of the 60th anniversary of the San Jose and Okayama Sister City relationship. Okayama and San Jose have been exchanging resources, innovative ideas, and programs for decades. Together, we have sustained a long-lasting friendship that has brought many benefits to both our cities. I was honored to be a part of this trip and to reciprocate the enthusiastic visit from the 120-person Okayama delegation that was welcomed to San Jose in 2017.
My trip consisted of back-to-back meetings, briefings, and tours. We started off at Okayama City Hall where we were welcomed by the Mayor, several councilmembers, and City Hall staff. We heard from Okayama’s leaders and Consul General Karen Kelly of the U.S. Consulate in Okayama, Japan. After learning of the rich history of our Sister City relationship, we moved on to a meeting with the Okayama Chamber of Commerce and Industry. At the Chamber we engaged in fruitful conversations about the promotion of tourism, worker shortages, minimum wage, public and private partnerships in branding and advertisements, and the role of businesses in financing recreational events and promotional campaigns. We learned that the Okayama Chamber of Commerce and Industry funds the annual fireworks show -- this is an idea that can be implemented here where the City currently takes on this expense. Like San Jose, Okayama is also challenged in recruiting skilled workers -- Okayama because of a national worker shortage and San Jose because of our housing crisis. To address this shortage, Okayama is extending retirement for seniors by offering job opportunities to people at later stages in life. They are also actively recruiting stay-at-home mothers to join the workforce. These strategies may also work here in San Jose.
After our meeting with the Chamber, we met with the leadership of the Okayama Convention Center where we discussed event promotion, convention recruitment, and convention center management. We learned that the Convention Center in Okayama has strong relationships with neighboring hotels and restaurants, and that they work together to keep visitors in the City longer. This coordinated effort extends stays, increases visits to local tourist spots, and increases consumption at local businesses. At the end of our first day, we participated in a culturally themed dinner where we were invited to partake in traditional dance and a sake barrel breaking ceremony.
Our second day was just as eventful and busy as the first. We met with the president and several professors at Okayama University. Here we discussed the importance of student exchange programs and the growing benefits of shared research. Okayama University and San Jose State University have been exchanging students, staff, and research for decades. This innovative and collaborative partnership has led our universities to serve as gateways to invention and the creation of life-changing technologies. One example is the profound advancements our universities have made in cyber security. It was a direct result of our Sister City relationship that brought professors together to share ideas and research. We heard from SJSU exchange student David Cruz Quevedo who has been studying in Okayama for the last six months. He shared his life changing experiences with us. After a morning at Okayama University, we were led on a tour of the Okayama Castle and the Korakuen Garden. San Jose’s Japanese Friendship Garden at Happy Hollow Park was based on the nationally renowned Korakuen Garden in Okayama. Last year, when our Japanese Friendship Garden was damaged by the flood, it was the City of Okayama that donated funds for the garden’s repair. This is another example of the benefits of our Sister City relationship.
On the final day of our trip we visited the nationally recognized Kibitsu Jinja Shrine, where we learned of the cultural and religious customs practiced at the shrine. The most endearing portion of our trip was a visit to the Gakugeikan High School. At the high school we learned about educational strategies for teaching global citizenship, social responsibility across national borders, and the importance of cultural exchange. The last meeting of the trip was a briefing at Okayama City Hall where we discussed tourism, Education for Sustainable Development, and the parliamentary structure of Okayama’s City leadership. The trip was closed with a dinner where we continued to exchange ideas and learn about each other.
I chose to attend this trip because I find value in exchanges with our counterparts in Okayama and across the world. As mentioned in my summary of events, we had the opportunity to discuss important issues that impact our cities. More importantly, we discussed how we address similar challenges. I chose to bring along my Chief of Staff to serve as additional eyes and ears for the District 2 office to receive the immense amount of information and materials shared in Japan. Additionally, it is important to have multiple perspectives present at a meeting to ask questions, create dialogue, and facilitate conversation. It is fairly common for Councilmembers and the Mayor to bring staff to important meetings, briefings and events, and this trip was no different.
There have been questions about the cost and budget for this trip. For the sake of transparency, I have included below a breakdown of the money that was spent on travel and lodging. The funds to cover these expenses came from my District 2 budget. Each Council District has an annual budget from which we pay staff salaries and benefits, office supplies and materials, travel, constituent outreach, and other business-related expenses. These funds are separate from the General Fund and other Department funds. Because this money is allotted to each Council District, its expenditure does not impact City services. Therefore, suggesting that travel on this trip impacts pavement maintenance, addressing homelessness, or other City services is inaccurate. Furthermore, my office took extra care to make the most affordable travel and lodging arrangements possible.
Airfare for two people: $2,012.86
Japan Rail Pass for two people: $550.00
Bus transportation for two people: $130.00
Lodging for four nights for two people: $1899.68
Total: $5,248.54
I have also included the trip Agenda so that you may review our schedule and hopefully gain a better understanding of why Sister City trips trips are important for our City.
While I was in Japan, the work back home continued and my team remained committed to their responsibilities. My office staff organized a successful Dumpster Day that allowed them to meet hundreds of residents who came out to clean their homes and neighborhoods. They also canvassed an underserved area in our community, worked with the San Jose Earthquakes to honor and recognize community leaders at the South San Jose Neighborhood Night, responded to various constituent concerns, conducted policy research, took meetings with City departments and community stakeholders, attended events on my behalf, and prepared for upcoming events such as this weekend’s Great American Litter Pick Up that will unite hundreds of residents. As any member of this council can attest, the work does not stop simply because I am out of the office, town, or country.
I take my duties as a Councilmember seriously. My residents expect fiscal accountability, and I hold myself up to this standard. This trip was within Council policy and those of us who attended followed City procedure -- any insinuation to the contrary is false. I look forward to working with my Council colleagues to improve our City’s travel policies as it relates to Sister Cities.
Many residents in our community may not be fully informed about the benefits of our Sister Cities program. As a City, we need to educate our residents about this program, which is why I have included attachments below for you to read more about this recent trip as well as the Sister Cities. During these volatile times, when our federal administration has taken a nationalistic and isolationist approach in global affairs, it is incumbent upon local leaders to keep our doors open to the outside world and foster the relationships that make us a better City.
