Riverside officials travel to quake-battered Japanese sister city Sendai

A “sister city” delegation from Riverside is in Sendai this week. The coastal city in northern Japan was battered by the massive earthquake and tsunami in March. The delegation presented Sendai officials with half-a-million dollars donated by Riverside residents.

Lalit Acharya has been to Sendai before – but this is his first visit since the earthquake and tsunami laid waste to its coastline. Acharya is Riverside’s director of international relations.

“Homes have been leveled – vanished actually. Cars buried deep in the mud, trees tossed around like matchsticks. That monstrous wave cut a wide swath.”

Riverside and Sendai forged one of the first international sister city relationships 60 years ago. Acharya says Riverside could have wired the money to Sendai.

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But this sister city relationship is based on more than cultural exchanges and economic partnerships.

"The mayor had made a commitment publicly to the community that we go to Sendai and personally hand over the check," says Acharya. "I think they were truly just happy to just see us make this trip and be there with them. It was a very, very touching experience for me.”

Riverside will continue to accept donations through its special Sendai relief website. Educators are also in Sendai to help elementary and college students who’ve had their education disrupted by the disaster.