Mayor Rita Frealing and the Gettysburg delegation checked in today from their visit to Sekigahara, Japan — our sister city and site of the historic Battle of Sekigahara.
The purpose of the visit is to celebrate and strengthen the sister-city relationship between Gettysburg and Sekigahara, and the sister-park partnership between the Gettysburg National Military Park and the Sekigahara Battlefield.
The trip marks 10 years of friendship and collaboration between the two historic towns — both known as pivotal battle sites that shaped their nations’ histories.
The delegation’s visit includes cultural exchanges, meetings with Japanese officials, and participation in the annual Battle of Sekigahara reenactment, all aimed at promoting international friendship, cultural understanding, and tourism connections between Gettysburg and Sekigahara.
The visit is generously funded by the Sekigahara delegation.
The week’s activities included a reenactment of the 1600 battle, a lively rice cake–throwing celebration, and a meeting with local high school students to discuss ways to strengthen visitation and community engagement. The group also attended a traditional tea ceremony demonstration and posed for photos with battle reenactors before joining in the festivities.
Here are some of Frealing’s photos:
While the mayor’s recent trip to Japan was reportedly paid for by the host, questions remain about potential obligations tied to the visit. If a reciprocal trip by the local jurisdiction is expected, residents deserve to know the anticipated costs and the concrete outcomes that justify such exchanges. Was this trip undertaken to build meaningful partnerships that will directly benefit the community, or will it lead to future expenses that taxpayers will ultimately bear? What are the next steps? Does this international goodwill effort truly serve local interests? I’m hoping to be happily surprised by the answer?