A friendship since 1977
Our Mission
The Hood River-Tsuruta sister city program was established in 1977. For over 45 years, our mission has been to promote friendship and cultural understanding between the communities of Hood River, Oregon, USA and Tsuruta, Aomori, Japan.
In addition to promoting student exchanges, Hood River-Tsuruta Sister City, Inc. provides college tuition scholarships for graduates of Hood River Valley High School. Scholarship information is available through the Hood River County Education Foundation: https://eschol.hrcef.org/hood-river-tsuruta-sister-city-scholarship/.
Background
Tsuruta is located on Japan’s main island, Honshu, in the Aomori Prefecture. Hood River and Tsuruta share much in common - both are on the banks of a river with a volcanic peak nearby, and are surrounded by working orchards.
Annual exchanges typically include weeklong visits to Hood River by both middle- and high school students from Tsuruta. Student groups from Hood River visit Tsuruta during summer break on two-year intervals. Elected officials and other delegates from Hood River and Tsuruta participate in exchanges in five-year intervals.
In 2024, student exchanges were reestablished following a pause during the COVID-19 pandemic
Goals
We are preparing to celebrate the program’s 50th anniversary in 2027!