A group of students from Penticton’s Japanese sister-city, Ikeda, visited City Hall today as a part of a week long trip to the area.

The two cities recently celebrated 40 years as sisters — a cultural exchange that sees representatives and students travel to the other city regularly.

“It’s always a treat to be able to host a sister city visit,” Mayor Andrew Jakubeit said. “It helps to reaffirm that Penticton is not only a very welcoming community, but a diverse community.”

Jakubeit addressed the group of ten students, and spoke about his trip to Ikeda last year, before letting them loose at the council table.

The Mayor noted that Penticton and Ikeda are similarly sized, and both feature agriculture and wine making.

The students spent the day at Apex Mountain Monday, and have been staying with local families in Penticton and Summerland.

Jakubeit pointed to the Japanese Gardens beside the Penticton Art Gallery as the best example of the four decade relationship between the cities.