Hot Springs Sister City Program

06/02/2026

06/01/2026

The second day of the Sister City delegation was filled with learning, culture, and fun. The day began with a visit to the Miyazawa Kenji Museum in Hanamaki, where delegates learned about the life and legacy of Kenji Miyazawa, the renowned poet, author, and educator born in the city. One highlight was watching the Gingo Poppa Clock come to life. Inspired by Kenji’s beloved novel Night on the Galactic Railroad, the clock performs every hour, playing a melody composed by Kenji while characters from the story appear.

The group then enjoyed a delicious lunch at the famous Marukan Restaurant, known for its towering 10-layer soft-serve ice cream—a local favorite traditionally eaten with chopsticks. After lunch, the delegates had a great time exploring and playing at the Hanamaki Toy Museum before doing a little shopping around town.

The day concluded with a special meeting with Hanamaki Mayor Masaru Obara. In a generous gesture, Mayor Obara presented each delegate and chaperone with a commemorative towel featuring an excerpt from Kenji Miyazawa’s Night on the Galactic Railroad, a meaningful reminder of their visit and the lasting friendship between our sister cities.

06/01/2026

The weather outside is hot, but Moku Playland is cool — and not just the temperature. 😎

Step inside downtown Hot Springs’ interactive wooden play experience from Japan and discover a world of creativity, imagination, and hands-on fun designed for children and families. From wooden ball pools inspired by Hot Springs thermal waters to imaginative play spaces and handcrafted toys, Moku Playland is the perfect place to escape the heat and play together.

Open Thursday – Tuesday
10am – 4pm
831 Central Avenue • Downtown Hot Springs

Tickets and information:
www.hotspringssistercity.org

05/31/2026

Our First Day in Hanamaki! 🇯🇵

We started the day with breakfast at the hotel, where some of our students bravely tried natto, a traditional Japanese food made from fermented soybeans. Known for its strong aroma and unique sticky, stringy texture, natto is considered a Japanese superfood. The reviews from our students were definitely mixed! 🤣

Later, the students met their host families and headed off to spend their first day immersed in Japanese culture. It was exciting to see the connections begin as they were warmly welcomed into their host homes.
❤️🇺🇸🇯🇵

05/31/2026

We truly have an incredible group of student delegates. During the Japanese airline leg of our journey, Ethan wrote thank-you cards to the flight attendants, and Gabby drew a picture for one of the attendants after she complimented an item on Gabby’s bag. Their thoughtful acts of kindness made such an impression that the flight attendants wanted to do something special for the entire group.

Before we landed, a flight attendant brought a gift bag filled with mini model airplanes and JAL luggage tags for the students. It was a wonderful reminder that even small gestures of kindness can make a big impact. We are so proud of the way our delegates represent themselves, their schools, and their communities.

05/30/2026

We made it! 🎉Our 17 student delegates, 2 teacher delegates, and 2 chaperones have been in 3 countries 🇺🇸🇨🇦🇯🇵 in the last 29 hours. We have traveled on planes, trains, and busses! We are resting up at the hotel in Hanamaki and are excited to meet our host families in the morning! It’s going to be a great week! 😁

05/30/2026

05/29/2026

Everyone is on the plane getting ready to takeoff. Next stop Japan.

05/29/2026

The 2026 Hot Springs Sister City Delegation is bound for Hanamaki.

The 17 students from Hot Springs, Lakeside, Fountain Lake, Lake Hamilton, and Arkansas School For Mathematics, Sciences, and the Arts Schools along with their chaperones and two member teacher exchange departed from Little Rock this morning to begin their journey to Japan.

It’s a long trip — but also the beginning of a life-changing opportunity to experience another culture, build friendships across the world, and see just how big and connected our world can be.

Safe travels to this incredible group as they represent Hot Springs and Arkansas through the sister city friendship with Hanamaki. 🇺🇸🇯🇵