Sister Cities: Boston and Kyoto

Kyoto, Japan and Boston, USA may be 6,824 miles away from each other but they share an official “Sister City” designation. A recent article in Boston.com tells us more about the longstanding relationship.

Wait, so how did we become sisters? Back in 1959, Kyoto sent a 10-member troupe for a week-long “Salute to Boston” and the rest, as they say, is history. Boston’s oldest sister-city relationship spans more than five decades and has spurred many events including a 50th anniversary celebration at Fenway Park. In 1979, Kyoto even donated a Japanese-style townhouse to the Boston Children’s Museum in what is considered to be the most generous gift from a foreign sister city to an American community, ever. The 100-year-old house was brought from Asia to North America in pieces and still stands today.

It’s just like Boston! Sure, there are cherry blossoms, but Kyoto has fall foliage to rival even the brightest of Boston’s trees. The leaves begin their transformation in October and peak during the second half of November, when the American season is coming to an end.

It’s totally different from Boston! Boston may be famous for its churches, but Kyoto is known for its temples. There are more than 2,000 Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines scattered throughout the city.

We bet you didn’t know: Ichijo-dori street, a neighborhood thoroughfare in downtown Kyoto, is straight out of “Monsters Inc.” The street makes local folklore a reality with zany statues lining the sides.

OK, but where can I watch the Sox? There’s a watering hole named Fenway Park Public Bar on Kawaramachi Street. Need we say more?

Source: “Boston’s 9 Sister Cities: A Quick Guide” by Kelsey Luing. See the full article in Boston.com.