MIKI
JAPAN VISIT
In
October, my wife and I had the opportunity to lead a delegation on nine Visalia
citizens to our sister city, Miki Japan.
Our hosts were more than kind, and anticipated our every need. They met us at Osaka airport, and transported
us to our host family homes in Miki.
There was a welcome ceremony at City Hall, and tours of local sites,
including Shinto and Buddhist temples, and a local plant that manufactures wood
planing tools. We got to visit and tour
historic Kyoto, which was the Imperial capital of Japan for more than 1,000
years! We were taken to local museums to
learn more about the history of Miki.
And we got to attend their Autumn Harvest Festival, an annual
celebration of their successful rice harvest.
For this festival, eight portable shrines, weighing one to two tons
each, are transported around Miki on the backs of about 60 young men per
shrine. It is something similar to what
we would call a parade. After carrying
these portable shrines throughout the city so that everyone can stop and gawk
at them, in the late afternoon they are taken to the foot of a local mountain
where they are carried up 80 stairs to an open courtyard, where throngs of
citizens await their arrival. These
colorful portable shrines are not only heavy, but beautifully decorated, and
the locals cheer on their favorites. To
conclude our trip, we were treated to a farewell party where their mayor and
other dignitaries spoke, thanking us for coming and renewing our sister city
relationship of 52 years. We appreciate
Miki's wonderful tourism department and the terrific host families that hosted
us on our visit. None of those who
attended from Visalia will ever forget this experience. We look forward in the next few years to a
reciprocal visit from our Miki friends, and a future visit again to our lovely sister
city.
SAYONARA
We
have survived the recent elections, and another has been elected to serve on
the Visalia City Council from District 3, my home district. I have been fortunate to serve on the Visalia
City Council since December 2009, including three years as vice-mayor and the
last two years as mayor, and it is time to turn the reins over. I appreciate all those with whom I have
served on the City Council, along with City staff. My first article appeared in Direct
Magazine's September 2010 edition. If
you are interested, you can review any of these monthly articles from the last
eight years at directfromwarren.blogspot.com.
Direct Magazine has been a great vehicle by which I have been able to
keep local citizens informed of city happenings. This is my final article for Direct Magazine
after all these years, and I appreciate them providing a venue for my thoughts
and ramblings.
Finally,
I want to thank the citizens of Visalia, including my many readers, for
allowing me to serve two full terms on the City Council as your elected representative. I am the last council member to step down
from the council having been elected citywide, rather than district elected. I look forward to continuing to serve in
various capacities locally. I am
thankful for the wonderful community Visalia has been to raise our family
in.
Best
wishes to all and "sayonara."
