Fairfield-Nirasaki Sister City Program

01/24/2026

PLEASE NOTE: This is no longer an active page. For information about Fairfield’s Sister City program, please visit the City of Fairfield’s website at

PLEASE BE ADVISED THAT THERE WILL BE AN INCREASE IN TRAFFIC CONGESTION ALONG WEST TEXAS STREET DUE TO CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITIES. WEST TEXAS STREET AND ALL LOCAL BUSINESS WILL REMAIN OPEN WITH LIMITED DRIVEWAY ACCESS DURING CONSTRUCTION. CLICK FOR MORE INFORMATION

03/07/2022

And don't forget we have our own friendship cherry blossom tree near the pond in the Fairfield City Hall complex!

02/10/2022

From the Consulate General of Japan in San Francisco :

Attn Alumni: Don't miss this Japanese language post-JET career talk on using your JET experience of bridging cultures in a global career!

JET Alumni Association of Northern California

JET プログラム後のキャリア形成：JET で培った異文化を橋渡しする能力とグローバルなキャリアとは (日本語）
(English follows)

2022年2月22日、米国東部標準時17:00－18:30

2022年2月23日、日本時間7:00－8:30

Register: https://usjetaa.wildapricot.org/event-4654031

本パネルディスカッションでは、JETプログラム参加者を中心に、日本での就労経験やそこで培った語学力を活かして、現在グローバルにご活躍される方々からお話を伺います。様々な業界・セクターから5名のパネリストにご参加頂き、日本での就労後にどの様にして日本と海外の橋渡しをするキャリアを築いてきたのか、日本での生活や語学習得のご経験、日本企業の海外ビジネスの現状等を中心に、率直な意見交換をして頂きます。本企画は、主に現役JET参加者及び卒業生の方々を対象に、将来のキャリア形成の参考にして頂くことを目的とし、JET関連イベントとしても初めて全て日本語にて実施されるものです。

主催 - Brunswick Group, USJETAA, CLAIR New York
後援 - Embassy of Japan in the United States of America.

Post JET-career talk: Using your JET experience of bridging cultures in a global career (Japanese)

In Japanese, panelists will share their personal stories of continuing with a Japan-related career after JET and time in Japan, their perspectives of Japan business developments abroad, and how the experience of studying Japanese, working and living in Japan has enabled them to contribute to relations between Japan and their home countries. As the first JET event to be in Japanese only, this panel aims to inspire current JET participants and JET alumni about how they can leverage their JET experience and language capabilities while contributing to closer collaboration between Japan and overseas.

Panel is cohosted by Brunswick Group, the U.S. JET Programme Alumni Association, and CLAIR New York. It is supported by the Embassy of Japan in the United States of America.

02/05/2022

11/19/2021

A personal note from Arletta Cortright:

November 17th was my last day as chair of Fairfield-Nirasaki Sister City Program; the photo was taken as I delivered 16 years worth of files, binders, and materials from our home to City Hall. I want to thank everyone who has supported the program while I’ve been in charge. It has been a privilege to work with our tremendous volunteers and great exchange students, and to have the chance to visit Nirasaki and get to know the wonderful citizens there. I know the program will continue to thrive under its new leadership. I especially want to thank my husband Gene and my daughter Kelley. I couldn’t have done it without your loving help.

11/18/2021

Last month, Tony Wade of the Daily Republic did a great column about the 50th anniversary of Fairfield's sister city program. Due to space limitations, he wasn't able to use all of the memories we sent to him. Here are some that didn't get published:

From Vanessa Arrivas, member of the 2016 summer exchange group: "One of my favorite experiences on my trip in 2016 was, ironically, the farewell party. I very much enjoyed wearing the yukata [summer kimono] and seeing my host sister, Sakura Yoshida, and our other friends and host families also dressed up. It made me feel very at home and I was able to dive deeper into one of my heritages. If I had to pick a moment or two from that farewell party, it was fun watching people hit the watermelon to break it while being blindfolded and the fireworks were so vibrant and beautiful. It was truly a time when we were all together and everyone was enjoying each other's company. It really was a big family party. I would give anything to experience that again."

From Nicholas DePaul, a summer exchange student in 2019: "While visiting one of the elementary schools, we had the privilege of eating lunch with the students there. We all sat at different tables with different kids around us and at the table I was sitting at, I saw one of the teachers whisper something to a student then said student asked me, "Do you have a girlfriend?" It caught me off guard so I stopped eating. I was sure the teacher put them up to it or at least asked them to ask me something, but I smiled, laughed, and looked at the kid and with all eyes on me, I replied with, "I wish." " (Nick is on the left in the group photo below.)

From Tiffany Sakato, a summer exchange student in 2002: "I lived with the Mochizuki family in Nirasaki for three weeks. The Mochizukis lived in the annex of a Buddhist temple since the father, Gininn, formerly an environmental engineer, inherited the family temple and became the priest. They had three daughters, one of whom, Nanao, was the same age as me. When I wasn't doing activities with the Sister City group, Nanao took me around and introduced me to her friends and we did hip-hop dance class. What was special was in the following exchange, Nanao traveled to Fairfield and stayed with me and my family during the Dec/Jan time. It was so great to be able to introduce her to my family and extend the hospitality the way her parents had for me in Japan."

11/17/2021

With a small sense of deja vu, on November 2nd, Sister City Program Chairperson Arletta Cortright once again attended a Fairfield City Council meeting to receive a Proclamation from Councilmember Panduro. However, this proclamation was not for the 50th anniversary, but for Arletta's retirement as chairperson of the Fairfield-Nirasaki Sister City Program, effective today, November 17. The proclamation recognized her 15 years as chairperson of the Fairfield-Nirasaki Sister City Committee, as well as her many years of service to various community organizations, and proclaimed November 2nd “Arletta Cortright Day in the City of Fairfield”.
The Fairfield-Nirasaki Sister City Program will be run by staff at the City of Fairfield until a new volunteer chairperson is selected, who will work in tandem with city staff moving forward. Otherwise, we expect the sister city program's and volunteer committee's operations to stay mostly the same as before, and we hope student and adult exchanges can resume in 2022. Thank you!

11/04/2021

So much to celebrate in the past two weeks! The Fairfield City Council presented the Sister City Program with a proclamation honoring the 50th anniversary of our sister city relationship with Nirasaki. Fairfield city officials and staff and Sister City Committee members held a virtual event with Nirasaki officials, staff, and citizens to celebrate the great occasion. We look forward to meeting in person again, we hope in 2022. ❤️🇺🇸🇯🇵❤️

10/22/2021

Our thanks to Tony Wade and the Daily Republic for a great column celebrating the 50th anniversary of our sister city program. Tony featured favorite memories of volunteers in the program. Check it out:

On Oct. 28, 1971, Fairfield, California, and Nirasaki, Japan, officially became sister cities. The purpose of the trans-Pacific relationship between the two municipalities was to promote meaningful social, educational, cultural and economic exchanges. Now, 50 years later, it continues to do just tha

07/28/2021

JCC-US.org is a portal information site for Japanese and Japanese Americans in the United States. Ge t the latest information provided by the Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry / Chamber of Commerce and Industry