Photo: Ian Poellet / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Newport has had a sister city in Japan since 1966: Mombetsu, a fishing port on the Sea of Okhotsk coast of Hokkaido, the country’s northernmost main island. The two towns have more in common than distance would suggest. Both live by the sea, both depend on fishing and both have built tourism around the ocean.
How it started
The relationship grew out of the sister-city movement encouraged after World War II, which paired American towns with cities abroad to build ties between ordinary residents. Newport and Mombetsu formalized theirs in 1966, which made 2016 the 50th anniversary, marked with delegation visits in both directions.
Two harbors
Mombetsu is known for the drift ice that fills the Sea of Okhotsk in late winter, and for its crab and scallop fisheries. Visitors ride icebreaker cruises out into the floes. Newport’s bayfront, with its crab boats, processors and sea lions, gives visiting Japanese delegations a familiar mix of working harbor and visitor trade.
What the exchange looks like
Over the decades, the cities have traded official delegations and student visits, with families hosting guests in their homes. Newport’s sister-city association, a volunteer group, organizes visits and fundraising. Gifts from Mombetsu can be seen around town.
The 2011 Japanese tsunami gave the Oregon coast a different kind of reminder of how close the two shores are. Read about the dock from Misawa that came ashore at Agate Beach.
Marnie Holcomb is the editor and publisher of Oregon Coast Daily News and covers Lincoln County government and community life.
