Sense of Place: Sister Tsuruta: A 50-year Friendship

with Niko Yasui

Niko Yasui has been on the Tsuruta Sister City Board for the past 20 year where he has served as Historian, President, and is the current Vice President. His grandfather, Ray Yasui, helped start the Sister City program 50 years ago with Hood River Mayor Charles Beardsley, and Tsuruta Mayor Kenji Nakano. This program has been a part of Niko's entire life having been around exchange students and been an exchange student himself on various sister city exchanges throughout the years. Niko is currently a teacher at Hood River Valley High School whose two children went on their first exchange to Tsuruta on the summer trip in 2026.

IMPORTANT TICKETING INFO:

• Shows often sell out — get on the waitlist (we use it!)
• Saturday before the show: any unclaimed Sponsor/Season pass seats are released to the waitlist.
• After the waitlist is served: remaining seats return to general admission.
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