The City of Atlanta announced that the 26th Japan-America Grassroots Summit is taking place in Greater Atlanta this week from October 4-11, 2016. The conference aims to strengthen the peaceful relationship between Japan and the United States by fostering grassroots friendships through a one-week cultural exchange program for people of all ages.
 
This year’s Summit will showcase Georgia’s local attractions, unique culture and customs and distinctive business opportunities to more than 200 visitors from Japan and over 300 American hosts. While Japanese participants take part in tourist activities in Atlanta for three days, they will also live with host families in metropolitan Atlanta communities and learn the American lifestyle. Among the Japanese guests attending, there will be students from two junior high schools from the still-recovering area of Fukushima through the efforts of the U.S.-Japan Council’s Tomodachi Initiative.

“With 25 years of history and more than 40,000 Japanese and Americans participating, the Grassroots Summit is one of the most enduring and important bilateral international exchange programs,” said Claire Angelle, Director of the Mayor’s Office of International Affairs. “We are proud to serve as a partner for this conference and welcome more than 200 Japanese participants to the Atlanta area. We look forward to exploring new partnership opportunities, as well as strengthening our ties with the Japanese community.”

The Summit is jointly organized by the Mayor’s Office of International Affairs, the John Manjiro Whitfield Commemorative Center for International Exchange in Japan, the Japan-America Society of Georgia and the Consulate General of Japan in Atlanta.

The City of Atlanta has a long-standing relationship with Fukuoka, Japan which started in 1994 when former Japan Prime Minister Toshiki Kaifu learned the potential opportunities for collaboration between Atlanta and Fukuoka during a visit. Atlanta and Fukuoka are both capital cities, serve as transportation hubs for their region and have strong technology and manufacturing industries. Fukuoka is also home to Coca-Cola West which played a role in establishing the sister city relationship.

On February 8, 2005, then Mayor Franklin and former Fukuoka Mayor Hirotaro Yamasaki signed the sister city agreement and formalized the relationship between Atlanta and Fukuoka. The relationship serves as a platform for annual student exchanges where students attend classes and experience local culture through homestays.
 
Recently, the sister city relationship has taken a new form to promote trade, investment, and the exchange of best practices. As part of the 10th sister city anniversary celebrated last year, Chief of Staff Candace Byrd and International Affairs Director Claire Angelle led a delegation to Fukuoka to promote trade, tourism and economic development opportunities. During their time in Japan, the delegation also traveled to Tokyo and Oita where Ms. Byrd accepted Atlanta’s nomination to host the 2016 Japan-America Grassroots Summit. In return, Fukuoka Mayor Takashima led a delegation of more than 100 business executives to Atlanta for bilateral meetings with Mayor Kasim Reed and to explore investment and trade opportunities in the metro Atlanta region.
 
Japan is the 7th largest export market for Georgia, with exports totaling $1.36 billion in 2015 and imports exceeding $4.6 billion. At least 42 Georgia companies have operations in Japan, including Atlanta’s Delta Air Lines, NCR Corporation, and The Coca-Cola Company. There are at least 402 Japanese Facilities operating in Georgia which employ more than 24,500 of our residents.