2025 Oita Delegation Celebrating the 35th Anniversary

This trip was the culmination of months of planning from groups in both cities and was a massive success, representing the power and ability of citizen diplomacy. In the words of our chairperson, Kristie Bryant, “This is what President Eisenhower envisioned when he created the first Sister Cities program.”

Here are some fast facts related to the delegation:

  • 27 delegates representing Austin travelled to Oita, Japan independently or with limited logistical support from AOSCC, including: Mayor Pro-Tem Vanessa Fuentes, APD Chief of Staff Robin Henderson, ASCI & AOSCC Chairperson Kristie Bryant, five Austin musicians and AOSCC board members

  • 4 days spent in Oita, with a weekend’s worth of activities planned by the Oita City government

  • Musical performances by five Austin musicians at the Oita Yumeiro Music Festival

In Japan, our delegates had a packed schedule of activities prepared by our partner committee in Oita, including:

  • Five Austin musicians, Gina Chavez, PAiDA, Caroline Sears, Aaron Zischkale, and Preston Satchwell, represented the City of Austin at the 2025 Yumeiro Music Festival in Oita. See comments from the musicians below.

  • A discussion with Oita City and Prefectural staff of public spaces, construction projects, and logistical considerations at the Oita train station

  • A conversation with the fire department about their new emergency preparedness and response system and center

  • A visit to Tsurusaki High School for Kendo, Kyudo, and Sado (tea ceremony) demonstrations

  • A signing ceremony between Mayor Pro-Tem Fuentes and Oita City Mayor Adachi acknowledging the 35th anniversary of the Sister City relationship

  • The opening ceremony for a mosaic mural in Ote Park created by Austin artist J Muzacz with support from students from Tsurusaki Technical High School

  • A visit to the Oita City Art Museum

  • Zazen meditation at Manjuji Temple

  • And so much more than can be contained in words!

From Gina Chavez: Finding home in Oita, Japan. It's a rare thing to feel at home in a faraway place. But that's exactly how I feel about Oita, Japan, and the Yumeiro Festival. For this Austin-born musician, Oita is my home away from home! Japan became the first country I ever toured as a cultural ambassador when I was invited to represent the City of Austin at the Yumeiro Festival in 2011 and 2012. Those tours laid the foundation for lifelong friendships and my understanding of the true power of music to connect us across time, space, language; everything that seems to divide us. But the illusions of division fall away on the friendly streets of Oita where live music of all genres rings out from open plazas and unassuming storefronts, in mall passageways and outdoor stages during Yumeiro Ongakusai. The 2025 Yumeiro Festival marked my return to Japan after 13 years and it felt like going home; this time, with a delegation of 25 incredible Austinites! We had such blast supporting each other, dancing in the audience, snapping selfies with old and new friends and celebrating the beauty of art in all forms. I am forever changed by the people of Oita -- the city officials who crafted our tour with such care, the students who guided us through their school, the bright eyes of every audience member who gifted us their time and energy. Oita is a special place and I cannot wait for my next opportunity to go back home! Matane :)

From PAiDA: The opportunity to connect with fellow Austinites while experiencing the charm and beauty of Oita was truly an honor, and has quickly become a cherished life experience. My brief time in Oita was filled with a unique warmth from the locals. There was so much love and diligence put into each day. The nerves of my first music festival performance were quickly stifled by the unabashed support of my craft by those in the audience. People from all walks of life in this city shared a smile with me, a mutual curiosity seals our bonds. The best part is knowing that these memories will be with us always, fueling my drive to share the culture with those around me back at home and around the world. It’s amazing how big of an impact just a few days had on my heart. I’m so grateful for this experience, thank you. 

From Caroline Sears: Being a part of the Yumeiro festival was an incredible experience! I felt so supported and excited to share my music. Exploring the city of Oita with music coming off every street corner was like something out of a movie. The people of Oita are friendly and easy to talk to, even across language barriers. The translator I was paired with was amazing as well, and he and I were fast friends. I wish I could relive that week again and again! 

From Aaron Zischkale: Traveling with the Austin-Oita Sister City Committee is like folding a map to turn two far-flung places into next-door neighborhoods. The official events are humbling: we marched into a ballroom reverberating with the applause of city leaders in suits, followed by a thunderous performance from a stage full of animated, leaping taiko drummers. But the personal connections outweigh all; there is an immediate feeling of community. Everyone we meet is a newfound friend! Our interpreter Satomi calms our nerves by talking music before our performance, taking notes to perfectly convey the meaning of our music to the audience. Our festival guides Haruna and Oto tell us about the city and their pets on our walk to the stage. Our fellow bluegrass musician Shunji, who had just arrived back home after a quick performance in Austin, searches for good vegan menu options. Our friend Kaz teaches us the correct way to pass through a torii gate to enter a shrine (to the side, to leave room for the kami). The delegation features incredible opportunities to share and learn from the city of Oita. There were visits to the department of public transportation, to the modern art museum, even to a high school (no mere tourist trip would feature a room full of kids sparring in full kendo gear, shouting and sprinting across a gym floor to crack bamboo swords against armor)! But the opportunity to connect with others, whether from Austin or Oita, make the trip unforgettable. It's an opportunity for lifelong friendships and memories.

Read about Preston Satchell’s experience Duck River Dispatch OT in Oita: http://archive.aftm.us/items/show/326

Thank you to everyone who participated, our delegates, the AOSCC volunteers, and the Oita staff who made this event possible. Without their work and support, we would not have been able to celebrate the 35th anniversary of Austin and Oita’s long-standing and fruitful sister city relationship.