Hamamatsu

Thursday we climbed aboard the Shinkansen once again and traveled to Hamamatsu.  Hamamatsu is a beautiful city that sits along the Pacific Ocean.  It is home to companies like Atsumi Tech (Ada Technologies), Roki and Fuji.  These companies all have operations in the Findlay/Hancock County area.  

We visited with Hamamatsu Mayor Suzuki at City Hall right next to Hamamatsu Castle which was a site to see.  The Mayor and I discussed how our communities are connected economically as well as through our educational institutions.  Shizoukoa University of Arts and Culture (SUAC) located in Hamamatsu has a relationship with the University of Findlay, whereby their students study abroad for a semester or two.  The relationship has been mutually beneficial.  I stressed to Mayor Suzuki that I look forward to building upon those existing relationships so that our communities can continue to be successful. We presented Mayor Suzuki with a City of Findlay Flag as well as a beautiful plate that commemorated our bicentennial events last year.  

Our visit also included a campus tour of SUAC and a meeting with the President of the University as well as top administration officials and two students who had studied at UF.  While our interaction was brief, I was impressed by the level of cooperation that exists between our beloved UF and SUAC. 

Hamamatsu is one of my most favorite places to visit in Japan and I look forward to returning.  While it is a City of 800,000 people, it is just as welcoming and pleasant as our community in Findlay.  

We will visit Molten just outside of Hiroshima on Friday.  We are looking forward to meeting with company executives.

By the way, it is incredibly hot and humid here and all of us spend most of the day melting in our business attire.  We are quite the sight to see.