Konichiwa.

Welcome.

We, the members of the Bethlehem-Tondabayashi Sister City Commission, have an abiding interest in and fondness for all things Japanese. The relationship between our two cities is a long one, as our history will attest. With the help of our sister city, we strive to provide the citizens of Bethlehem and its surrounding communities with a better understanding of the Japanese culture. We try to do this in two ways:

First, by providing, in a variety of ways, information about Japan. We have a sizeable collection of Japanese artifacts that are housed in the Tondabayashi Room of the Bethlehem Public Library. We maintain, with the generous help of the Bethlehem Garden Club, the Garden of Serenity , which is located on the west side of the Bethlehem Public Library. The artifacts in the Tondabayashi Room, the tea house and garden, and 60 cherry trees are all gifts from our sister city. The Commission further attempts to educate the public about Japan through its participation in area festivals, sponsorship of bus trips to Japanese cultural events outside the city, and by providing links to sites that give information about different aspects of Japanese culture.

Second, by providing direct people-to-people interaction. We accomplish this by overseeing a two-way Student Exchange program. In odd-numbered years, the Commission sends five students from Bethlehem to Tondabayashi for a three-week homestay; in even-numbered years, Tondabayashi sends five students to stay with host families in Bethlehem. Information about the program and how to apply may be found under Application. Through words and pictures, our Student Exchange site reveals the experiences and impressions of the Bethlehem students who have gone to Tondabayashi, as well as the Japanese students who have come to Bethlehem. The Calendar of Commission Activities will give you the time-line for the exchange program.

The Bethlehem-Tondabayashi Sister City Commission is a non-profit organization, whose members are appointed by the Bethlehem City Council and whose funding is provided by the City of Bethlehem. To learn more about the structure of our organization, please read our Charter.

We welcome the enthusiasm and ideas of new members. Our minutes show the results of our lively monthly meetings, which are held on the second Thursday of the month at 7:00 p.m. in the Tondabayashi Room of the Bethlehem Public Library. Feel free to join us at any time.

Please send your comments or questions to jane.schaffer@rcn.com