Mission

It is the mission of the Sister City Commission to promote international communication and understanding through exchanges of people, ideas, and culture.

The Commission

Edmonds and the city of Hekinan, Japan established a relationship on April 5, 1988. The two cities celebrated their 20th anniversary in 2008.

Hekinan is located in Aichi Prefecture about 40 kilometers from Nagoya. It was incorporated in 1948 from four villages. There are about 70,000 residents, and it hosts an active harbor and several substantial manufacturing plants. Toyota is the largest employer in the region and maintains a transmission assembly plant. Hekinan has stressed the importance of its civic and cultural assets, which include a cultural hall, a large regional hospital, botanical gardens, performance hall, and parks. The new Chubu Centrair International Airport, only 15 minutes away from Hekinan, opened in 2005 to make the city more accessible to visitors.

The Edmonds Sister City Commission was created by City ordinance in 1988 and reports to the Mayor of Edmonds. The Mayor appoints members to the Commission, subject to City Council confirmation. The 12 non-paid Commissioners serve three-year terms with no term limits. Commissioners need not be residents of Edmonds. Funding for Sister City programs is largely from community donors.