Join the Walla Walla-Tambasasayama Sister City Committee members on Saturday, March 21, at 4 p.m. as they unveil two bronze traditional Japanese Dekansho Dancer statues on the Friendship Bridge in downtown Walla Walla. A delegation of Tambasasayama high-school students — in Walla Walla for a week-long cultural exchange — will join the celebration.
This is the final phase of the Friendship Bridge Project that honors the 50th Anniversary (1972-2022) of the alliance between the sister cities of Walla Walla and Tambasasayama, Hyogo, Japan. The COVID pandemic delayed the project, but a 50th-anniversary plaque was unveiled in 2023 when the newly rebuilt Spokane Street Bridge was renamed the Friendship Bridge.
Now, to complete this project, two Dekansho Dancer statues and an informative plaque will be installed on the bridge. These sculptures are 3-foot replicas created by Walla Walla artist Jeffrey Hill. The original life-size statues are located in Tambasasayama.
These statues honor the Dekansho dance and song which have been recognized as official Japanese cultural heritage. An annual Dekansho Festival is held in mid-August near the site of Tambasasayama Castle.
This is a free event. Come for the statue unveiling, dance the historic Dekansho Dance on the Friendship Bridge and meet the city’s Japanese guests.
For more information, visit www.japansistercity.org.