Along with a former exchange student who is now a Junior High Teacher, he is accompanied 10 Junior High Students that visited the US. Trip includes a visit to an indian reservation near Pendleton, OR. Local families providied homestays 7/27, 7/28. The Okayama Committee sponsored an event to honor the hard work of Mr. Yasuda which was attended by 26 people..

See the dedication video and other celebrations since our 50th anniversary on YouTube, Channel: sjokayama50yr or check back for a link here.

One of the major stones used in the Japantown cultural projecthas come from Okayama through the hard work, dedication and generosity of many volunteers in San Jose and in Okayama. Thanks to ALL for helping on that project.

Did You Know?

Our Golden Gate Bridge is a Sister Bridge to the Seto-Ohashi Bridge located near Okayama. Here is a view of a plaque on the South End of the Golden Gate Bridge:

The inscription reads: Golden Gate Bridge, Seto Ohashi Bridge;
Sister Bridge; April 10, 1988 (English & Japanese)

During the 30th anniversary trip to Okayama, San Jose visitors got to see the Seto Ohashi bridge under construction. During the 40th anniversary trip, San Jose visitors got to go part way across it. They turned around in a visitor's center.
The waters of the inland sea spanned by the bridge have had been hard to cross, thence the bridge. Further North on the island of Shikoku, there are famous dangerous whirlpools. Here is a view from another bridge in nearby Naruto strait:

What is a whirlpooL?