The Omaha Sister Cities Association is celebrating the 50th anniversary of its partnership with Shizuoka, Japan.
Shizuoka became Omaha’s first sister city in 1965. Since then, Omaha has formed similar partnerships with cities in Germany, Lithuania, Ireland, Mexico, and China.
Cynthia Buettner, president of the OSCA Board of Directors, says the sister cities agreement has created new relationships, as well as cultural, educational, and economic opportunities.
A new exhibit at the Durham Museum marks the 50th anniversary of the sister cities partnership with 40 photos from the OSCA archives. The delegation from Shizuoka joined OSCA officials on Monday for a ceremony opening the new exhibit.
On Sunday, members of the Shizuoka Philharmonic joined the Omaha Symphony for a celebratory concert.
Shizuoka is located an hour south of Tokyo, and has a population of about 470,000.