Sister States

More than 250 attendees gathered at the Ala Moana Hotel for the first-ever “Made in Hawai‘i Presents: Your Future in E-Commerce” conference by the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism (DBEDT), on February 21. During various sessions and panels, industry leaders from Amazon and Shopify shared tips and insights on how Hawai‘i manufacturers and retailers can succeed in the e-commerce world.

On July 27 and 28, 2023, the Hawaiʻi-Japan Sister State & Sister City Summit was convened by the State of Hawaiʻi Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism (DBEDT), and the Japan-America Society of Hawaiʻi (JASH) in Honolulu, Hawaiʻi with the theme of “The Ties that Bind”. The Governor of the State of Hawaiʻi and the Mayors of the City and County of Honolulu, Kauaʻi, Maui and Hawaiʻi, and the Governors, Mayors and designated representatives of the six prefectures, 16 cities and towns in Japan, which share respective sister and friendship relationships, participated in the Sister Summit.

The State of Hawai‘i Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism (DBEDT) in partnership with the Japan-America Society of Hawai‘i (JASH), is convening the first Hawai‘i-Japan Sister State and Sister City Summit on July 27 and 28, 2023, at the Hilton Hawaiian Village in Honolulu, Hawai‘i. Governor Josh Green, M.D. and Hawai‘i’s mayors will welcome governors and mayors of the six prefectures and sixteen cities and towns from Japan with sister relationships. 

TAIPEI >> About 100 Taiwanese students are expected to arrive in Hawaii in March to compete in the Hawaii FIRST Robotics Competition, a regional qualifying event required for advancing to an international level.

HONOLULU – The State of Hawaii and Goa, India, signed an agreement to enter into a sister-state relationship today. Gov. David Y. Ige, signed a historic agreement with delegates from Goa, a state in India, which is Hawaii’s first sister-state relationship with a jurisdiction in India. The Director of Art and Culture, Gurudas Pilarnekar, signed ...
Read More New Sister-State Relationship between Hawaii and Goa, India

The Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism (DBEDT) welcomed high school and college students from Chitose, Hokkaido on January 11, 2018. The visit was the first for the organizers, the Chitose International Communication Society. The delegation was led by Hokkaido Prefectural Government’s Assembly representative. “This visit is a direct result of the Hawaii-Hokkaido Sister-State/Prefecture ...
Read More DBEDT Welcomes Hokkaido School Delegation From Chitose City

The State of Hawaii and the Jeju Special Self-Governing Province celebrated the 30th anniversary of its sister-state-province relationship on Friday, September 2, 2016, on the grounds of the ‘Iolani Palace.  In cooperation with the Hawaii Korean Chamber of Commerce, the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism hosted over 200 people at a reception including Hawaii ...
Read More Hawaii – Jeju Sister-State-Province Relationship 30th Anniversary Celebration

On July 10, 2015, Governor David Ige and Hawaii’s Okinawan community welcomed Okinawa Governor Takeshi Onaga and members of his delegation to Hawaii at a colorful cultural reception at Washington Place. It was an auspicious occasion that joined together business, government and community representatives from both regions to celebrate and acknowledge Hawaii’s 30th Anniversary Sister-State ...
Read More Hawaii Honors 30th Anniversary Sister-State Relationship at Washington Place

Courtesy of University of Hawaii News The Department of Business, Economic Development & Tourism (DBEDT) congratulates the University of Hawaiʻi, the University of the Ryukyus and Meio University on the signing of a memorandum of a understanding that proposes to  form an international network—the International Consortium for Okinawan Studies—for studying and teaching about Ryukyu and ...
Read More International Okinawan studies agreement signed