富田林市・ベスレヘム市 姉妹都市交流(English)
Programs of Association
Exchange student program
This is the system, in which either city alternately dispatches its students tothe other city during summer holidays. Therefore the students learn the differences of culture, tradition and lifestyle through home stay.
English Oratorical Contest
English Oratorical contest is held every year for three grades including junior high school students, high school students and general public.It will be the 34thcontest this year, 2004.
Support and assistant to the close exchange forged by the citizens
When citizen of either city will visit the other city, and exchange its own culture and so on, the Association will give some advice and support it.
Why don’t you join in the programs held by the Association?
The Sister City Association hopes that many citizens will participate in the programs,in order to promote a mutual understanding and cultural exchange of both cities at the popular level.For details, please contact the Secretariat of Association.(Civil Activities Support & Coproduction Promotion Division of Tondabayashi City Hall)
History of sister city relationship
1959
Priest Kenneth E. Heim visited Tondabayashi City
1964
The Sister City Relationship was established.
1971
Mr. Yoshinaga Sakon made the Japanese Garden in Bethlehem City.
1972
The Bethlehem-Tondabayashi Sister City Commission was established.
1972
The first English Oratorical Contest was held.
1973
The first exchange students were dispatched.
1976
The Tondabayashi-Bethlehem Sister City Association was established.
1994
The seedlings of cherry were donated to Bethlehem City.
2001
The commemorative ceremony for Sister City Relationship was held in Bethlehem City.
2004
The 40th commemorative ceremony of Sister City Relationship was heldin Tondabayashi City.