Osaka to End Sister-City Ties with San Francisco after 60 Yrs

Osaka, Nov. 23 (Jiji Press)--Osaka Mayor Hirofumi Yoshimura said Thursday the western Japan city will finish by the end of December procedures to end its sister-city relations with San Francisco that have lasted 60 years. In a statement, Yoshimura said it is "deeply regrettable" that San Francisco Mayor Edwin Lee on Wednesday authorized the city council's decision to accept the donation of a statue symbolizing comfort women that was built by a group of Chinese Americans and others. "The relationship of trust between the sister cities of Osaka and San Francisco has vanished," Yoshimura said, effectively declaring an end to the partnership that began in 1957. Earlier this month, the San Francisco council passed a motion to accept the donation of the memorial for the women, who were forced into prostitution for Japanese troops mainly during World War II, as well as its maintenance costs. Yoshimura sent a letter to ask Lee not to approve the decision and let the U.S. city become the owner of the statue. The Japanese government also asked Lee to veto the motion. Yoshimura's move to end the partnership is drawing criticism in Osaka, as the city has enjoyed good relations with San Francisco for a long time through student exchanges, mutual visits by mayors and other programs. "It's a shame. There are no other words to describe it," Osaka city assembly member Masashi Kuroda of the Liberal Democratic Party said. "Unwinding the sister-city relationship is not a right way to deal with the issue." END