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 and Tsuruta, 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. Situated on the banks of rivers, surrounded by working orchards and with snow-covered peaks nearby, Hood River and Tsuruta share much in common.
Student exchanges typically include annual week-long visits to Hood River by both middle- and high school students from Tsuruta, and student groups from Hood River typically visit Tsuruta during summer break on two-year intervals. Elected officials and other delegates from Hood River and Tsuruta typically participate in exchanges in five-year intervals.
Goals
In 2024 we reestablished student exchanges following a pause during the COVID-19 pandemic, and we are preparing to celebrate the program’s 50th anniversary in 2027!