McNear: Mendocino and Miasa, Japan became “sister-unincorporated townships” in 1980

Although separated by the Pacific Ocean, Mendocino, California and Miasa, Japan have a close relationship spanning decades. Miasa, located in the Nagano Prefecture, sits about 150 miles northwest of Tokyo. In the 1980, Mendocino and Miasa became Sister Cities, a long-term partnership between two communities in different countries aimed at promoting cultural and commercial ties.

This relationship can be traced back to William “Bill” Zacha, founder of the Mendocino Art Center. In 1964, Bill and Jenny Zacha traveled to Japan, where Bill painted and met Toshi Yoshida, a woodblock artist. In 1971, Yoshida taught printmaking at the Mendocino Art Center, returning to Japan the following year to establish an art center in Miasa. The Bunka Center opened in 1979,