Governor Healey Welcomes Delegation from Hokkaido, Japan on 35th Anniversary of Hokkaido-Massachusetts Sister State Agreement
During the visit, Governor Healey and Hokkaido Vice Governor Shinichi HAMASAKA signed a joint declaration
reaffirming the Sister State Agreement and pledging continued collaboration and exchange, particularly when it comes to academia, education and growth industry development. Governor Healey also presented the delegation with a proclamation designating October 22 as “Hokkaido Day” in Massachusetts.
“For over a century, Massachusetts and Hokkaido have enjoyed a close relationship and an ongoing exchange of students, scholars and ideas,” said Governor Healey. “This partnership was formalized 35 years ago, and today we are committing to growing our cultural exchange and deepening our economic ties. It was wonderful to welcome Vice Governor Hamasaka and the Hokkaido delegation back to Massachusetts, and I’m grateful to the Massachusetts Hokkaido Association and the Massachusetts Office of International Trade and Investment for making this visit possible.”
"Hokkaido and Massachusetts have a long history of ties, and during the period of Hokkaido's development approximately 150 years ago, many notable figures from Massachusetts, including Dr. William Smith Clark, made contributions in a variety of fields,” said Vice Governor Shinichi HAMASAKA. “Today, Hokkaido is a region where robots and ICTs are utilized for agriculture, as well as where the large-scale projects utilizing cutting-edge technology take place, such as Green Transition initiatives and the manufacturing of next-generation semiconductors. ‘Boys, Be Ambitious’ − with the words of Dr. Clark in mind, we would like to further deepen the ties that have been nurtured between our two regions and pass them on to the future."
Hokkaido is Japan’s second largest and northernmost island. The bond between Massachusetts and Hokkaido dates back to the 19th century through exchanges of students, scholars and staff between the University of Massachusetts and Hokkaido University. In 1990, then-Governor Michael Dukakis and Governor Takahiro Yokomichi signed the Sister State Agreement to strengthen this relationship, pledging to continue the exchange of education, culture, sports, industry, science and technology.
The delegation’s visit was coordinated by the Massachusetts Hokkaido Association and the Massachusetts Office of International Trade and Investment.
Massachusetts has similar agreements with numerous countries and international regional governments, including Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Denmark, Hong Kong, India, Israel, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Panama, Peru, Portugal, South Korea, Spain, Sweden and Taiwan.
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