Northern Michigan‘s Sister Cities

June 14, 2009

Northern Michigan’s Sister Cities

By Kristi Kates 6/15/09

You may have seen the signs as you drive into one of several Northern Michigan cities (or a city elsewhere in the U.S., for that matter.) “Sister City of ...” the sign says. But what exactly does the term ‘sister city’ mean?
Also known as ‘town twinning,’ or ‘brother cities,’ sister cities are a concept that pairs up towns in geographically and politically distinct areas in order to foster cultural links and friendship between the towns’ inhabitants.
The earliest sister city agreement may have been between the German city of Paderborn and the French city of Le Mans in 836, although it wasn’t formalized until 1967.
The first U.S. ‘twinning’ was Toledo, Ohio, with Toledo, Spain in 1931. An official American Sister Cities program was established by President Eisenhower in 1956; that program would become a separate organization, Sister Cities International, which continues its non-profit work with a whole roster of sister cities today - including the ones right here in Northern Michigan.

Petoskey: Sister City Takashima, Japan
Petoskey’s sister city is actually the merging of several other Japanese towns and one village (Kutsuki), and boasts a population of 56,220 - with a density of 110 persons per square kilometers, it’s not quite the roomy area that Petoskey itself boasts for its citizens, but is just as pretty geographically.
Takashima also has one very distinctive natural landmark in common with Petoskey - Japan’s largest freshwater lake, Lake Biwa, over which sunrises very much mimic the look of the famed Petoskey “Million Dollar Sunsets.” Speaking of Lake Biwa, mackerel is one of the things that the lake region is known for, much like Petoskey’s many varieties of whitefish dinners, which are as popular with locals as they are with tourists; but where the mackerel in Japan was transported on the exotic-sounding Saba (mackerel) Kaido Road, whitefish in Petoskey is likely to simply be delivered via Highway US 31.
Also in common with Petoskey are severe winters; since Takashima is located very close to the Sea of Japan, they have extensive amounts of snow and very cold temperatures, just like Petoskey’s winter months.

Traverse City: Sister City Koka,
Japan
“They are the self-proclaimed Cherry Capital of the World” declares the official website for Koka, Japan, in reference to their American sister city, “Traverse City is known as a popular tourist destination for water activities and golfing.” Koka is actually Traverse City’s second sister city; the first was Tsuchiyama, but Koka - sometimes called “Koka City” in English, although in Japanese it’s just Koka - became TC’s sister city after Tsuchiyama merged into Koka five years ago. It’s a low and flat land with forests and rivers, except for the southeastern section, which is surrounded by the Suzuka Mountain Range, which has peaks reaching over 3,000 feet.
Around 95,000 people live in Koka, compared to Traverse City’s 14,000; and just like Traverse City is known for its cherries and golf, Koka is known for its fine teas, quality ceramics, and Ninja history; in the 15th century, the region was famed for being the base for one of Japan’s two largest Ninja clans.
Unlike Traverse City, though, the climate in Koka is much milder, with around 60 inches of rain each year, and less than 8 inches of snow on average.

Gaylord: Sister City Pontresina,
Switzerland
It makes sense for Gaylord - Northern Michigan’s own Alpine Village - to have a real alpine village for its sister city. Located high in the Engadin region, Pontresina is a noted tourist destination just like Gaylord, except for its location, which instead of being on mostly-flat Midwestern territory, is near two large glaciers, the Morteratsch and the Roseg. While Gaylord’s residents are cross-country skiing on the Hartwick Pines Trails, their Pontresina neighbors are probably downhill skiing on Morteratsch, which has its own ski lift to allow people to ski down the glacier itself.
When winter sports aren’t being pursued, Pontresina’s residents - much like Gaylord’s - are probably strolling in the locally dense wooded areas of pine trees, or having lunch in one of the local pubs or restaurants. Many of the houses in Gaylord take after the traditional Engadine houses of Pontresina, with their well-preserved 17th and 18th century architecture and decoration.
Pontresina is also one of the few Michigan sister cities that has a smaller population than its Midwestern sister - Pontresina numbers around 1,800 people year-round, while Gaylord numbers around 4,000.

Cadillac: Sister City Rovaniemi, Finland
Cadillac’s sister city shares a definite wintery climate with its Michigan counterpart. The average temperature in Rovaniemi, Finland is 32 degrees year-round, with snow staying on the ground an average of 183 days out of the year; if you think Northern Michigan is cold, check out Rovaniemi’s lowest temperature ever recorded: minus 52. Now that’s cold.
In addition to those extreme temperatures, Rovaniemi, which has a population of 59,000, is one of the largest cities in the world by area, although much of it is covered by forest. Because of the recreational opportunities offered by the nearby wilderness - another thing Rovaniemi has in common with Cadillac - tourism is an important industry in the Finnish city, which is the northernmost point of the Finnish railway system. Tourists to this area will find a ski center called Ounasvaara, important for recreation and also for history, as the top of the Ounasvaara hill is the site of some of the earliest known human settlements in the area. Visitors will also enjoy visiting a large theater and concert hall, and the famed and striking Jatkankynttila bridge that stretches over the Kemijoki River.