By Tom McClimon
May 12, 2003

American and Japanese mayors sat down last week in Washington on May 6 to discuss a wide range of common issues from travel and tourism to economic development to education and job training. The occasion was the seventh Japan-United States Mayors Friendship Exchange Conference held between the Japan Association of City Mayors and the United States Conference of Mayors which hosted the meeting.

The U.S. delegation was led by Conference Vice President Hempstead (NY) Mayor James Garner and included Mayors Beverly O'Neill of Long Beach, Peter Clavelle of Burlington and Terrence Terauchi of Gardena. Conference Executive Director J. Thomas Cochran also was a member of the delegation. The Japanese mayors were represented by Mayors Tadashi Aruga of Matsumoto, Masashi Sugiyama of Mutsu, Tsuyoshi Saigusa of Enzan, and Tokihiro Nakaruma of Matsuyama, whose father once served as mayor of Matsuyama and was President of the Japan Association of City Mayors when they hosted the first delegation of American mayors in 1989. Secretary General Masaaki Suzuki of the Japan Association of City Mayors also participated in the discussions.

Garner welcomed his Japanese colleagues by outlining his vision on the importance of building international relationships between mayors of all countries. "I strongly believe that mayors everywhere can learn from one another and exchange our -best practices-," Garner stated in his welcoming remarks.

The two-hour meeting covered a wide range of issues under the general theme of "City Livability". The Japanese mayors raised a number of current issues facing mayors in Japan including the merger of some 3000 municipalities into 1000, the challenges cities face in developing their own economic agendas rather than relying on the central government, and the issues surrounding global warming. A number of issues were raised by the American mayors including travel and tourism, economic development and sustainable development. Two issues that seemed to resonate a great deal among both countries- mayors were the battle between large "box" shopping centers and "mom-and-pop" shops; and the need to ensure quality education for young people to help ensure jobs in the future. Conference Executive Director J. Thomas Cochran raised the issue as to how the deregulation allowing large chain-type stores in Japan is affecting the small business type stores. Gardena Mayor Terauchi talked about his city's efforts to control the large box developments and Clavelle talked about his city's program with the city of Nishinomiya in Japan to incorporate principles of sustainable development in the classrooms. O'Neill talked about the importance of job training programs to cities- economic development programs. On the education issue, the Japanese mayors expressed surprise as to how little control American mayors have over their school systems.

in Japan is affecting the small business type stores. Gardena Mayor Terauchi talked about his city's efforts to control the large box developments and Clavelle talked about his city's program with the city of Nishinomiya in Japan to incorporate principles of sustainable development in the classrooms. O'Neill talked about the importance of job training programs to cities- economic development programs. On the education issue, the Japanese mayors expressed surprise as to how little control American mayors have over their school systems.

At the conclusion of the meeting the mayors of both countries reaffirmed their commitments to strengthen the partnership between both countries and to have further exchange programs.