Celebration of the Signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Colorado and Hokkaido Scenic Byways Councils

On June 16th, at the “Scenic Byways Hokkaido 20th Anniversary Forum” held in Sapporo, a memorandum of understanding (MOU) regarding scenic byways was signed between the Colorado Scenic & Historic Byways Council and the Scenic Byways Hokkaido Promotion Council. The MOU includes provisions for revitalizing scenic byways, exchanging opinions through mutual visits, creating joint initiatives, and creating guidelines to establish the framework of the Sister Byway Program, with the goal of contributing to tourism and the preservation of cultural heritage in both regions.

In response to this, an event was held on July 21st in Golden, Colorado, to celebrate the signing of the MOU. Participants included state government officials, local Japan-U.S. relations organizations and Japanese American organizations, as well as representatives from Hokkaido who participated virtually. The Consulate-General of Japan in Denver was also in attendance, represented by Consul-General Okajima and other staff.

The event featured greetings from state and local officials, an exhibition of the MOU, and a video message from the chairman of the Scenic Byways Hokkaido Promotion Council. It was also announced that Governor Jared Polis of Colorado had declared July 21st as “Colorado and Hokkaido Sister Byways Day.” Local representatives of Japanese American organizations also performed Japanese music at the event, including drum, flute, and shamisen pieces such as “Soran Bushi,” “Kitaguni no Haru,” and “Hakodate no Onna.” All participants celebrated the achievements of years of effort and enjoyed a pleasant time together.

We look forward to the continued development of the sister byways partnership in the future.