International Exchange Association of Izumo
Our 42-Year Journey
1984
Jan Founding meeting of IEAI(January 8th)
Mission statement: As a private group implementing exchange activities in Izumo City in this age of internationalization, our association will promote international goodwill and spread knowledge of foreign affairs in order to further our mission of contributing to worldwide mutual understanding and to local cultural development.
Directors: President Tom T. Kuwabara, Vice president Masao Nagira, Yoshihiko Fukuda, Chief director Motoharu Sugihara, Director Shotai Kobayashi, Masatoshi Yamamoto and others Aug Welcome party for Dr. Thomas Turley and Dr. Barbara Molony, assistant professors at Santa Clara University
Sep 1st English Speech Contest for Junior High School Students (held annually henceforth)
Nov 1st Overseas Friendship Tour (Santa Clara, Oxnard, and Palo Alto, 14 members)
1985
Mar Welcome party for Oxnard City Mayor Nao Takasugi
Aug California Fair (at Izumo’s Palao shopping center)
Welcome party for Cynthia Gissler (daughter of the Mayor of Santa Clara)
1986
Mar 2nd Santa Clara Friendship Tour (Middle School Brass Band performance. 32 middle schoolers and 10 adults)
Signing ceremony for the partnership between IEAI and
SCSCA (Santa Clara Sister Cites Association) (March 13th) Oct Exchange welcoming Santa Clara Goodwill Delegation (10 members including Mayor Souza and SCSCA President Figueira) Signing ceremony for the Sister City Agreement between
Izumo City and the City of Santa Clara (October 11th)
California Cuisine Cooking Class
1987
Jul 3rd Santa Clara Friendship Tour (18 members including Mayor Naora)
Exchange welcoming Santa Clara’s high schoolers
(held annually henceforth)
1988
Nov Awarded an Izumo City Distinguished Service
Award Santa Clara Mayor’s Cup awarded to the winner of the 5th English Speech Contest for Junior High School Students (awarded annually henceforth)
1989
May Exchange welcoming Santa Clara Cultural Delegation
(including Sharon Gissler. Cultural seminar was held)
1990
Aug Izumo Lions Club 30th Anniversary Santa Clara Visit 1991
Oct Reception activities for San Francisco State University track team, competitors in the Izumo Kunibiki All-Japan University Ekiden (held annually henceforth)
Exchange welcoming Santa Clara Goodwill Delegation (17 members. Izumo City’s 50th Anniversary) 1992
Mar 5th Santa Clara Friendship Tour and Middle School Goodwill Mission (held annually henceforth) 1993
Mar International Goodwill Softball Tournament (held annually until 2002) Oct Exchange welcoming Santa Clara Citizens’ Delegation. IEAI 10th Anniversary Ceremony 1996
Jul Visit to Santa Clara for 10th Anniversary of the Sister City Relationship (Mayor Nishio, IEAI President Kuwabara) Oct Exchange welcoming Santa Clara Delegation (including Mayor Judy Nadler) 1997
Sep Sister Cities Agreement 10th Anniversary Citizens’ Mission (Santa Clara, Yosemite National Park, 17 members) 1999
Oct IEAI 15th Anniversary Ceremony (guests include Mayor Judy Nadler) 2000
Nov Awarded Shimane Prefectural Distinguished Service Award for International Exchange 2001
Nov Exchange welcoming Sister Cities Agreement 15th Anniversary Santa Clara Visit Delegation (including Mayor Judy Nadler)
2003
Jan Awarded a Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications Award for Town Open to the World Feb International Goodwill Bowling Tournament (held annually henceforth until 2019) 2004
Jul Izumo City Merger Commemorative Ceremony and exchange welcoming Santa Clara Sister Cities Signing Delegation 2006
Mar 3rd Middle School Brass Band Santa Clara Mission (40 middle schoolers, 6 adults) Apr Exchange welcoming Santa Clara’s Wilcox High School (15 students, 2 teachers) Jul President Tom T. Kuwabara awarded Sister Cities International’s Volunteer of the Year Award 2008
Apr Exchange welcoming Santa Clara Symphonic Band (90 members, mostly middle and high schoolers) 2009
May IEAI 25th Anniversary Ceremony (guests include Mayor Patricia Mahan and SCSCA President Debi Davis) Publication of 25th Anniversary Commemorative Booklet
July Vice President Masao Nagira became President, and Tom T. Kuwabara was installed as Life Honorary President 2011
Oct Sister Cities Agreement 25th Anniversary Santa Clara Visiting Delegation (15 members), Anniversary Ceremony (guests include Mayor Nagaoka, City Council Chairman
Miyamoto, President Nagira, and Tom Kuwabara)
2013
Jul Japan America Grassroots Summit in Shimane (80 participants from the US, including 5 from Santa Clara)
2014
Oct IEAI 30th Anniversary Ceremony (guests include SCSCA President Kathy Watanabe, Vice President Yuki Ikeji.)
2015
Mar Awarded Izumo City’s Special Distinguished Service Award for International Exchange Organizations Jul President Masao Nagira was installed as Advisor and Vice President Masatoshi Yamamoto became President
2017
Mar Commemorative plaque installed forthe 30th Anniversary of Izumo City and City of Santa Clara’s Sister City
Agreement
Apr Awarded a California State Assembly Certificate of
Recognition for Sister City Exchange
Jul Exchange welcoming SCSCAPresident Raj Chahal and
Spouse Daljit, Vice President Tedra Nikolai, and 3 students.
Nov Awarded a Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications Award for Distinguished Service to Local Government 2019
Mar 28th Izumo Middle and High Schooler Santa Clara Goodwill Mission (11 students, 3 adults) Jun Exchange activities for the Santa Clara Official Delegation (Mayor Lisa Gillmor Council member Raj Chahal and Margaret Horoszko, SCSCA President) and 4 high schoolers, 2023
Jun After 4 years of Covid-19, exchange activities for 4 students and Margaret Horoszko, SCSCA President Oct 40th Santa Clara Mayor’s Cup English Speech Contest for Junior High School Students 2024
Mar 29th Izumo Middle and High Schooler Santa Clara Goodwill Mission (11 students, 3 adults) Jun Exchange activities for 6 Santa Clara High School students and Jenine Soterwood, SCSCA Oct 41st Santa Clara Mayor’s Cup English Speech Contest for Junior High School Students Nov Publication of 40th Anniversary Commemorative Booklet 2025
Mar 30th Izumo Middle and High Schooler Santa Clara Goodwill Mission (12 students, 3 adults)
Jun Exchange activities for 6 students and Chigusa Katoku, Vice President of SCSCA Clint Poe, Professor at Mission College Lisa Terres, Teacher at Buchser Middle School
Oct 42nd Santa Clara Mayor’s Cup English Speech Contest for Junior High School Students
2026
Mar 31st Izumo Middle and High Schooler Santa Clara Goodwill Mission (12 students, 3 adults) Jun Exchange activities for 8 students and Jagat Singh, Ana Vargas-Smith, SCSCA Oct Sister Cities Agreement 40th Anniversary Santa Clara Visiting Delegation Anniversary Ceremony ( include Mayor Toshiyuki Itsuka, City Council Chairman Shigemitsu Ito, IEAI Chairman Masatoshi Yamamoto,Vice Chairman Takashi Yomota, Yukimi Fukushima) Exchange welcoming Tedra Nikolai, Former President of SCSCA and Patrick Nikolai, Former Chief of SCPD
Nov 43rd Santa Clara Mayor’s Cup English Speech Contest for Junior High School Students