Local residents participating in exchange program to Japan

A group of area residents will be departing today on a cultural exchange trip to Japan as part the ongoing activities of the Chehalis sister city program.

Eleven individuals from cities including Chehalis, Centralia, Toledo and Winlock will be traveling to the town of Inasa, a small rural community similar in size to those in Lewis County.

The delegates, as they are officially called, will be staying with host families for a week and will be given opportunities to tour historically and culturally significant sites in the area, including the Grand Shrine of Ise, a Shinto shrine considered to be the most significant in Japanese culture.

While guests in Inasa, the visitors will also be able to present a gift to the leaders of the town signifying the culture and heritage of Lewis County, and this time selected a decorative wooden paddle styled after the designs of local Native American tribes.

It is expected that next year Inasa will send a group of individuals to visit the Chehalis area as part of the continuing relationship between the two cities, and those who are interested in providing guest housing or interested in learning more about Chehalis’ sister city relationships may call City Hall at (360) 345-1042.