A celebration for the 50th anniversary of Seika, Japan's moving up from a village to a town was the occasion for Mayor Harold Haralson's first visit to Norman's new sister city in early November. Seika is Norman's third sister city, joining Clermont-Farrand, France and Colima, Mexico. It is in the Soraku District of Kyoto prefecture in central Japan.

Haralson calls the historic, tradition-rich Seika a "good fit" with Norman and said the program will help foster a good relationship between the two countries.

"The Osaka triangle is a very historic area of Japan. Old Imperial palaces, old Imperial capital, a lot of people in a very condensed area and not maybe as condensed as Tokyo, but still pretty significant population there," he said."(Seika) is what I would describe as a very modern city."

The Japanese town has an estimated population of about 34,000 in an area of about 25 square kilometers. It's near Nara, with a population of about 360,000; Osaka, about 2.6 million population; and Kyoto, about 1.5 million."

(Seika) has a lot of research, development and orientation going on in that area. Very similar to our technology corridor, but they've got 50 or 60 research facilities in Seika now," Haralson said.

The group toured the ATR Human Information Processing Research Laboratories, which featured advanced robotics technology and voice recognition.

"They gave us a demonstration while we were there of basically a computerized translation system. So you'd speak into it in English or Japanese and it would translate it and speak it in a recognizable format," the mayor said.

Haralson traveled to Seika with Dr. Yoshi Sasaki, an Oklahoma honorary consul general, and Sasaki's wife Koko.

Sasaki, a George Lynn Cross professor emeritus of meteorology at the University of Oklahoma, is known worldwide for his pioneering work that led to the understanding of rotations inside thunderstorms that can lead to tornadoes. He was given the Fujiwara Award, a top honor from the Japanese Meteorological Society, in 2000.

"He really is very well thought of and he's opened quite a few doors in Japan," said Haralson. "He's been very helpful in our relationship with Hitachi and now Astellas and Weathernews."

It was not Haralson's first trip to Japan. He spent two years there in the Navy, where he picked up some of the language.

The Kyoto governor and vice governor participated in the festivities.

One of the most interesting parts of the trip was entertainment by two elegantly coiffed geishas in traditional Japanese white makeup -- along with two maikos or apprentice geishas who are under 21.

"They did the traditional Japanese dances and they sit at your table and talk with you," the mayor said.

"It was very interesting as just kind of an aside, they told me that the media (portrayal) was not very accurate as far as what their lives as geishas are."

The group also was able to meet with the Japanese management of several Norman plants, including Astellas and Hitachi, both in Tokyo.

Management of Japan-headquartered Weathernews, which has one of its two United States offices in Norman, told Haralson they would like to increase their organization here.

"So I think there are some exciting potentials there," the mayor said. Norman and Seika will exchange books about the respective cities for display in each library. Seika has an about 10 million-volume library, built by the Japanese government.

Norman Transcript managing editor Andy Rieger's "Hometown Hangouts" book of columns about Norman will be among the collection going to Seika.

"History books are the kind of thing they'd be interested in having," Haralson said. "Anything that kind of gives them the idea of what Norman, Oklahoma, is all about."

Haralson presented the governor of Kyoto and people of Seika with specially made beaded masks by Choctaw artist Carol Pate, in coordination with Norman's Tribes Gallery.

Norman and Seika signed their sister city agreement Sept. 2, in Norman, with Seika Mayor Kaname Kimura and the Honorable Tomoko Samura, Kyoto vice governor, participating. Kyota is the sister state to the state of Oklahoma.

Haralson said he is working on a cultural exchange program for children of American workers at Hitachi, Astellas and Weathernews.

His Seika hosts provided a translator for the trip, along with a photographer who took about 300 pictures.

Carol Cole (405) 366-3538 at ccole@normantranscript.com
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