PORT TOWNSEND — In October of last year, Sue Gillard, Shary Irwin and Norma Wieman traveled to Japan as part of a local delegation to formalize a sister-city agreement between the cities of Port Townsend and Ichikawa.
But a chance encounter before the signing ceremony led to their forming a personal bond with Japan that resulted in its own cultural exchange last week.
“We are very glad Fumiaki could come and bring his wife with him,” Wieman said.
Fumiaki Gendo is the man who befriended Wieman and her traveling companions during a day trip to Nara from Osaka.
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The rest of the story appears in the Monday Peninsula Daily News.