Our Story

The global Sister Cities movement was established in 1956 by U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower, who envisioned a "people-to-people" program that would promote peace by bypassing governments and fostering mutual respect and understanding at the community level—one individual and one city at a time.

The partnership between Olympia, Washington, and Kato, Japan, formally began in 1981, initially linking Olympia with the town of Yashiro. The relationship successfully grew for decades, centering on cultural and educational exchanges, and in 2006, the partnership name officially changed to the Olympia-Kato Sister City Association after Yashiro merged with two other Japanese towns to form the larger City of Kato. This enduring connection has been the foundation for the organizations' core mission, including the annual Student Ambassador program and the development of the beautiful Yashiro Japanese Garden in Olympia.