Kanagawa Updates (Nov. 2026)

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Celebrating the 45^th Anniversary of Friendship Agreement between Maryland and Kanagawa

Kanagawa Prefectural Government (K.P.G.) has friendship agreements with eight regions in the world, including State of Maryland, U. S. A.; Liaoning Province, China; State of Baden-Württemberg, Germany; Gyeonggi Province, South Korea; State of Odessa, Ukraine; Penang State, Malaysia; Västra Götaland, Sweden and City of Gold Coast, Australia. 

 

Among these, the State of Maryland was the first government body with which K. P. G. signed the agreement in 1981, and this year marks the 45^th anniversary.   K. P. G. has been continuing mutual exchanges in various fields with Maryland, such as high school students dispatch program and internship program for Maryland University students in the field of education.  Also in the life science/healthcare field, since the signing of the MOU in 2019, K. P. G. has hosted Maryland University students’ visits as part of gerontology training program.  In the business field, companies from both areas have expanded their operations in each other's regions.  Last year, Maryland Governor Moore came to visit Governor Kuroiwa and held Maryland business seminar here.  

 

This milestone year, Governor Kuroiwa visited Maryland in July to attend various events including the ceremony to commemorate the anniversary, and ME-BYO symposium.　

 

First, he met with Governor Wes Moore in Annapolis, the state capital, and explained about GREEN×EXPO 2027, which will begin in March 2027.  He also explained the concept of “Vibrant INOCHI,” the theme of Kanagawa Pavilion.

Following the meeting, Governor Kuroiwa attended the ME-BYO symposium at University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC).  Various people involved in this partnership attended the ceremony; the state government officials, members of Maryland-Kanagawa Sister State Committee, officials of Japanese Embassy in the U. S., teachers and students of UMBC and high school students from Kanagawa who were joining a training program of UMBC.  Speeches were given on the past exchange activities and future prospects, and the participants celebrated the milestone year together. 

 

The Governor’s visit provided a good opportunity to reaffirm the commitment to furthering future exchanges based on the achievements in the past 45 years.  We hope to maintain this valuable friendship for many years to come.