2024 Sakura (Cherry Blossom) Festival!

Tuscaloosa Sister Cities International is proud to announce the 2024 Sakura Art Contest, as part of the annual Sakura Festival events during the month of March. This year’s contest, themed “Preserve/Climatescape: Resilient Cities for Tomorrow’s Climate” will feature a virtual display of beautiful artwork by students in the Tuscaloosa City School System, and Narashino, Japan. Check out the Tuscaloosa Sister Cities International Facebook page – or visit the Tuscaloosa Public Library during the month of March page to enjoy the amazing artwork! Also, be sure to stop by the 38th Annual Sakura (Cherry Blossom) Festival on Saturday, March 23, 2024 from 11am – 2pm at Tuscaloosa’s Mildred Westervelt Warner Transportation Museum, and celebrate “All Things Japanese” with us!

Our Sister Cities

NARASHINO, JAPAN 

Narashino City, municipalized in 1954, is located on the Tokyo Bay near Tokyo in northwest Chiba Prefecture.  A regional commercial center, Narashino’s coastal area is home to many industries, as well as the Yatsu Higata Tidelans, a protected wetland for migratory birds, and the Yatsu Rose Garden, which features more than 6000 individual blossoms in May and October. Several institutions of higher learning, including the Chiba Institute of Technology and Nihon University, are located here.

SCHORNDORF, GERMANY

Schorndorf is located in the southwest of Germany, only 18 miles from Stuttgart. capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg.  This historic city is the birthplace of automotive pioneer, Gottleib Daimler, and is often referred to as “Die Daimlerstadt”, the Daimler City.  A beautiful medieval town, Schorndorf was founded in the 12th century and is situated in the valley of the Rems River and surrounded by the hills of the Swabian Forest, well known for its rich wine country.

SUNYANI-TECHIMAN, GHANA

Sunyani is a city in the West African Republic of Ghana, and is the capital of the Bono Region. As estimated 80-thousand people reside here.  The name Sunyani derives from the Akan word for elephant, ‘Osono’,  Techiman, located nearby, is the leading market city in the region, and is the legendary birthplace of all Akan peoples.  Sunyani and Techiman are important hubs for the distribution of cocoa, kola nuts, and cashews; both cities are well-known for their many cultural, recreational, educational and economic amenities.