Cupertino-Toyokawa
Sister Cities Since 1978
The Cupertino Toyokawa Sister Cities (CTSC) organization promotes cultural awareness and friendship between the cities of Cupertino and Toyokawa, Japan. The relationship celebrates its 45th anniversary in 2023.
The friendship is built through the annual student exchange program, and also the quinquennial (every five years) adult exchange program.
The cultural awareness is promoted through the annual Cupertino Cherry Blossom Festival (CBF) held every year on the last weekend in April.
If you have any questions or comments, please contact the Cupertino-Toyokawa Sister Cities organization.
Cupertino Cherry Blossom Festival
An annual community event in honor of our sister city, Toyokawa, typically held on the last weekend in April (Spring) at the Cupertino Memorial Park.
This year, we are celebrating the 40th anniversary on the weekend of April 27th - 28th, 2024
at the Memorial Park grounds.
Visit our website for more details and plan for your visit:
Cherry Blossom Festival Website
To view past festival highlights, please visit our
To view a special message from both city's Mayors :
Cupertino-Toyokawa Sister Cities Inc. hosted
Community Bell-Ringing for Peace
Sunday, August 6, 2023 @ 2PM
Community Bell-Ringing for Peace
Sunday, August 6, 2023 @ 2PM
Cupertino Memorial Park
In 2020, Cupertino-Toyokawa Sister Cities Inc. (CTSC) held a city-wide Bell Ringing for Peace Zoom event https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vvBUnxp8uuA recognizing 75 years of peace between the US and Japan. In addition to the well-known atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki during WWII, Cupertino’s sister city of Toyokawa, Japan was also bombed as it was the location of Japan’s Naval Armory.
This year, CTSC held the fourth annual event to ring bells for Peace and we invited the community to join us. You can view the 2023 event video here ->
Student Delegation Exchange
Also known as the Junior Goodwill Program, Cupertino and Toyokawa Student Delegation groups visit bilaterally every year.
Selected students from Cupertino and Toyokawa are introduced to cultural and educational activities while staying with their host families.
After four years of hiatus, the student exchange program resumes in 2024. Students will be receiving their proclamation on stage on Saturday, at the Cupertino Cherry Blossom Festival, April 27th, 2024.
Adult Delegation Exchange
CTSC Adult Delegation visit bilaterally every five years.
The 40th year celebration included a visit from Toyokawa delegates to Cupertino in July 2018 and reversely, Cupertino delegates to Toyokawa, in November 2018.
Cupertino Delegation members were warmly welcomed in Toyokawa, November 16, 2018.
Farewell group photo for Toyokawa delegation with Mayor Darcy Paul and Mayor Minori Yamawaki at the Cupertino City Hall, July, 2018
Community and Volunteering
CTSC Board and Committee Members are actively involved in a variety of community and volunteering activities.
- We are a member of the Sister City International NorCal Board.
We are a member of the California-Japan Sister Cities Network (CJSCN).
We enacted the student internship program in 2020, where Cupertino students can participate in developing and maintaining CTSC functions and ventures.
We encourage intensive and quality youth volunteerism through our Presidential Service Award Program.
We actively participate in the City of Cupertino's community events. We have a booth at the Fall Festival and the Volunteers Fair.
We participate in the iNaturalist program.
June 15th, 2019 CTSC hosted the first CJSCN Silicon Valley and South Region meeting at the Cupertino City Hall.
Source: CJSCN Newsletter July 2019April 26, 2019 CTSC received the Cupertino Chamber of Commerce's Organization of the Year STAR award.
Source: CJSCN Newsletter July 2019