The Fukuyama Chamber of Commerce & Industry and the Maui Japanese Chamber of Commerce established a sister chamber relationship on May 31, 1997. Since then we have exchanged delegations, participated in the Maui County Fair and the Fukuyama Rose Festival, and hosted a high school student exchange program. We have strengthened our relationship through various facets of our societies, including economic, cultural, and educational pursuits.
Fukuyama City and Maui County will become sister cities based upon the close relationship our people have developed over the past ten years. We expect that the close ties between the citizens of Fukuyama and Maui will continue to progress and grow.
The second largest island in the Hawaiian archipelago, Maui is slightly larger than Kagawa Prefecture and has a population of almost 130,000 people. With an economy focused on the tourist industry, Maui has many resort hotels and golf courses. Back when the sugar cane industry was booming, many Japanese immigrants endured 12 or more hours of hard work each day in the intense heat, suffering cuts on their hands from the sharp sugar cane leaves (you can learn more at the Sugar Museum). Maui's nickname is "The Valley Isle," and the island's flower is the Lokelani, a variety of rose. Fukuyama's flower is a rose as well, meaning that the two places share the same symbol.
The Chamber was established in 1988 under the leadership of Hawaiian Senator Joe Tanaka. The 100 or so members include lawyers, hotel managers, a potato chip plant manager, and garden designers. Their activities include holding political forums, business seminars, and panel discussions with industry-related people in Hawaii. They also hold cultural events such as kimono shows, sushi festivals, exhibitions of the tea ceremony, and flower arranging.