Lubbock City Council Welcomes Mayor and Junior Ambassadors from Lubbock’s Sister City [PICS]

The Lubbock City Council hosted a sizable group of visitors from the Hub City’s sister city in Japan.

A group of students participating in the Junior Ambassador program from Musashino, Japan are visiting Lubbock this week, and were recognized at Wednesday morning’s Lubbock City Council meeting to celebrate the 25^th anniversary of the connection between Musashino and Lubbock.

Musashino Mayor Morimasa Murakami addressed the council through a translator, saying “The fact that the relationship between the City of Lubbock and our City of Musashino lasting for a quarter of a century is proof for our unchanged friendship.”

Murakami continued, thanking Lubbock for calls and well-wishes following the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami which devastated parts of Japan. “Fortunately, Tokyo metropolitan and the City of Musashino were not largely affected, and people’s lives are almost back to normal…calls of concern and encouragement from the City of Lubbock poured in. It renewed our understanding of the importance of your friendship, which encouraged us very much,” Murakami said.

Musashino leaders presented the council with a traditional Japanese warrior helmet as a gift.

Lubbock Mayor Tom Martin addressed the students, saying “I think there’s one thing that your mayor and I can both agree on; we’re ready for your generation to take the reins of leadership of our respective countries sooner than later.”

Musashino's population is just over 137,200 people.