Lafayette, Japanese city work to create friendship

By Sarah Szczepanski
Assistant Features Editor

Even though one would have to cross an ocean to get there and the inhabitants speak a different language, Ota City in Japan is still considered Greater Lafayette's sister city.

Still, there are some similarities between the two places.

The populations are almost the same, both cities were changed from agricultural centers to industrial centers, both cities are on a river, and for the most part, both are flat cities.

Students have the opportunity to witness these similarities and differences in the "Ota City Artists" exhibit in the Robert L. Ringlet Gallery in the Purdue Memorial Union through Sept. 23.

Having a sister city means both cities involved make an effort to establish friendships and cultural exchanges, said Sally McIntire, president of Greater Lafayette sister city committee.

She said over 100 people from the area have traveled to Ota City where they received warm welcomes.

"They make every effort to pair people up, business people get to meet other business people; they really roll out the red carpet for each other," said McIntire. "Last year we had an Ota City youth orchestra here, this year we had a soccer team here and every year we have a local teacher exchange. It's a good match."

After Lafayette was chosen by Subaru, which has automobile plants in Ota City, as a place to build a new plant, the two places have continued the cultural exchange program since 1993.

Local artists in Greater Lafayette created a tea bowl exhibition that was displayed in the art museum in Lafayette. After the exhibition was closed, it was sent to Ota City.

"They enjoyed it," said Craig martin, director of Purdue Galleries. "They saw it as a compliment to an old traditional ceremony. I think they were flattered that contemporary artists were doing something today that is associated with this. They also liked the exchange with us."

In exchange for the tea bowl exhibition, the mayor of Ota contacted the art museum in Lafayette to do a reciprocal exchange. "The Lafayette art museum schedule wasn’t able to incorporate that offer so the mayor contacted Purdue and Purdue was interested very much," said Mary Anne Anderson, assistant to the director of Purdue Galleries.

"The artwork is done by local professional artists in Ota. They depict the city and the surroundings; it's interesting in that Japan has an ancient culture. They have many of the pictures combined; there is history and there is modern stuff as well."

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