Japan-Hawaiʻi Sister Summit
Hawaiʻi-Japan Sister State & Sister City Summit 2023
The Hawaiʻi-Japan Sister State & Sister City Summit was held on July 27-28, 2023 at the Hilton Hawaiian Village Coral Ballroom, Honolulu Hawaiʻi. With the theme, “The Ties That Bind”, the Governor of the State of Hawaiʻi, the Mayors of the City & Counties of Honolulu, Kauaʻi, Maui and Hawaiʻi, and the Governors, Mayors and designated representatives of the six sister prefectures and sixteen cities and towns in Japan participated in this Sister Summit. The purpose of the Sister Summit was to explore common issues to further deepen and strengthen sister and friendship relationships by setting goals to increase exchanges between the respective governments and municipalities.
The Sister Summit program was comprised of three parts:
Panel Discussions
During the course of the two-day Summit, six panel discussions were held covering a variety of topics, including sustainable energy, education, sustainable tourism, cross-border commerce, and sustainable agriculture.
Panels were comprised of a moderator and subject matter experts from Hawaiʻi, the U.S. Mainland and Japan.
The Marketplace
The Marketplace consisted of 20 exhibitor booths plus local Japanese radio station KZOO. The Marketplace was a vibrant addition to the Sister Summit. Hawaiʻi-made products as well as services, tour operators, non-profit organizations and prefectures and cities in Japan were represented.
Executive Sessions
The Sister Summit provided the governors and mayors of Hawaiʻi and Japan with face-to-face meeting time through one-on-one scheduled and three breakout “Executive Sessions.” Governor Josh Green met with the visiting governors and vice-governors from Fukuoka, Hiroshima, Ehime, Okinawa, Hokkaido and Yamaguchi for an open discussion on what initiatives Hawaiʻi and Japan could collaborate on for the benefit of both. The four Hawaiʻi county mayors met with their Japanese counterparts for similar discussions.
Networking Receptions
Three networking receptions were held during the Sister Summit, including a Welcome VIP Reception hosted by Gov. & Mrs. Josh Green at Washington Place, the Sister Summit Reception hosted by Consul General Yutaka Aoki at his residence and the Sister Summit Closing Reception following the close of the Summit. Entertainment by local boy band.
