SIDNEY — Sidney will be one of eight cities in Ohio hosting local sessions for international travelers from Japan as a part of the 2023 Japan-America Grassroots Summit, and the city is still seeking host families until the deadline to apply on July 31.
Over 100 Japanese citizens will be traveling to Ohio in September 2023 to participate in the summit. They will take part in tourist activities in Columbus for three days, including a welcome reception and ceremony at The Ohio Statehouse. Then they will leave Columbus in the morning on Sept. 21 for four days and three nights at the local session they chose based on previews they receive in a brochure, which could be in Sidney, Bellefontaine, Columbus, Delaware, Dublin, Findlay, Marysville, or Troy. The summit ends in Columbus on Sept. 24 with a farewell celebration at the Columbus Zoo, which hosts are also invited to attend for free.
The city expects between seven to 15 guests, and the typical guest is between the ages of 50 and 70. The host family requirements are:
• Provide three nights of lodging for guests;
• Provide guests with meals;
• Provide guests with transportation during their stay;
• Plan and provide activities for guests during a designated host family day on Saturday, Sept. 23;
• Transport the guests to their hotel in Dublin on Sunday, Sept. 24.
This annual gathering celebrates the historic friendship between Nakahama Manjiro and Capt. William Whitfield. Manjiro was a 14-year-old fisherman when he was marooned off Japan’s coast in 1841. Whitfield rescued Manjiro and brought him back to the United States and shared his home with him. Manjiro later began a trailblazer in emerging U.S.-Japan relations.
To apply to become a host family, complete the host family application form on the Japan-America Society of Central Ohio (JASCO) website.
