Massachusetts Hokkaido Association

Sister States since 1990  -  Friends since 1876

Celebrating 20 years of continued Friendship

The Massachusetts Hokkaido Association was formed in 1987 to acknowledge and nurture the historic relationship between the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and Hokkaido, the large northern island prefecture of Japan.  In 1990, 114 years after this extraordinary friendship had been established, Massachusetts and Hokkaido officially became sister states.  Visits by government officials, trade missions, and educational and cultural exchanges followed.  Two sister city relationships were established.

Those of us who have traveled to Hokkaido - and Hokkaido friends who have come to Massachusetts - appreciate our shared history.  We look forward to introducing, to a wider audience, Massachusetts and Hokkaido, two states that in many ways are very similar.

Our website is a work in progress.  We hope it will be one more tool to find friends who value living in a multicultural world.  We invite you to share experiences, interesting news items, and photographs.  Send them to mass.hokkaido@comcast.net.  We will do our best to keep the website current, interesting, and focused on Massachusetts and Hokkaido.

                                                                                                  May 1, 2010

Enjoy additional photographs of Japan's largest national park - Daisetsuzan - by Ryan Libre http://www.idioimagers.org/