Nishiwaki, Japan

Nishiwaki is a city located in Hyogo Prefecture, Japan. The city calls itself "The Navel of Japan (Nihon no Heso)." Located at the crossing of the 135° East meridian and the 35° North parallel, the city's Nihon no Heso Park marks the center of the nation. JR West operates Nihon Heso Station on the Kakogawa Line (in addition to other stations in Nishiwaki). As of 2008, the city has an estimated population of 44,925 and a population density of 332 persons per km². The total area is 132.47 km². The city was founded on April 1, 1952 and is the sister city of Renton, Washington, U.S.A. On October 1, 2005, the town of Kurodashô from Taka District merged with the city to form the new city of Nishiwaki. Nishiwaki, Japan and Renton, WA, became sister cities on September 22, 2005. Since then there have been mutual exchanges between the two cities, most notably the annual middle school exchange program. The next Renton-Nishiwaki Sister City Committee meeting will be held Tuesday, August 18, 2009, at 5:00pm, in the 7th Floor Conferencing Center at Renton City Hall. Discussion at the next meeting will focus on finalizing plans and efforts to host a visiting 17-member delegation from Nishiwaki, Japan, August 22-24, 2009. Meetings are "open" and guests and new visitors are welcome.