2025 at 4:38 pm PT.css-79elbk{position:relative;}20 students and 5 adult chaperones are staying with Livermore families
(Livermore-Yotsukaido Sister City Organization)LIVERMORE
CA - A group of 20 middle school students and five adult chaperones from Yotsukaido
They are staying with host families in town and attending school with them
a group of Livermore middle school students went to Yotsukaido for a similar experience
and trips have been arranged every other year since then
Yotsukaido has a similar population size and socioeconomic makeup to Livermore
making intercultural comparisons more interesting and relevant
a few successful applicants from Livermore stayed with Japanese families
20 students are visiting Livermore alongside five adult chaperones
In addition to spending time in Livermore schools
the group will tour San Francisco and take part in a welcoming reception featuring entertainment and traditional gifts
“I have made friends that will last a lifetime from my experiences with our Yotsukaido sister city,” said Keith Jess
president of the Livermore-Yotsukaido Sister City Organization.“Friends I now call my extended family
and know that we’ll be there for each other.”
“I can say from personal experience that participating in the sister city program provides a wonderful opportunity to share our cultures and create lifelong friendships,” said Livermore Mayor John Marchand in a statement
Livermore students interested in visiting Yotsukaido in the fall can attend an informational meeting Tuesday
at the Livermore Main Public Library story-time room
The program is open to current seventh grades who will be in eighth grade during the 2025/26 school year
Families are responsible for all trip expenses
For more information, visit the LYSCO website or email lysco2014@gmail.com
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A man broke into a house in Yotsukaido in Chiba Prefecture around 4:30 a.m
on Sunday and assaulted one of the residents
The police found a man believed to have been involved in the burglary and took him into custody near the site
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The police are investigating the incident as one of a series of burglary attacks related to so-called dark part-time jobs
the suspect broke the window to enter one of the rooms in the house
The man demanded to know where the money was
to which the victim said a wallet was in the adjacent room
The victim was left bleeding from face wounds
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© 2025 The Japan News - by The Yomiuri Shimbun
located in the suburb area of chiba, japan, ‘house in yotsukaido’ by tokyo based practice studio noa
is a residence that looks to merge the boundaries between private interior space and the outlying environmental context
a solid black form cantilevers over a semi-opaque volume
inverting the traditional structural orientation
the cloudy surface provides an area to transition the homeowner between the contrasting atmospheres
housing an internal garden and stoney pathway
introducing natural light and vegetation into the private home
interior lights radiate through the translucent skin
a protected terrace connects to the main body of the home which contains the principal living spaces
while maintaining a sense of exposure to the outdoors and nature
a single square opening cuts through the enclosure
framing a nearby retention basin and the neighborhood beyond
AXOR presents three bathroom concepts that are not merely places of function
but destinations in themselves — sanctuaries of style
Japan – It’s hard to miss the little pink-walled house in a residential neighborhood of Yotsukaido
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Japan - It's hard to miss the little pink-walled house in a residential neighborhood of Yotsukaido
too - it contains the Hello Kitty collection accumulated over more than 30 years by former policeman Masao Gunji
Gunji was recognized by Guinness World Records for a collection of 5,169 items
Children and Kitty fans often visit his home to play with the iconic Sanrio Co
who Gunji introduces as 'a member of our family.”
Gunji calls the one-story structure 'Kitty house” and built it as an extension to his main house four years ago
The approximately 25-square-meter enclosure is filled with a plethora of Kitty goods
Kitty is likewise featured on the room's wallpaper
'They're all cute,” the 68-year-old said with a smile as if admiring his grandchildren
Gunji joined the Metropolitan Police Department
He was mainly stationed at police boxes where he worked to ensure community safety
Gunji first encountered Kitty 30 years ago during a visit to Nikko in Tochigi Prefecture
He bought a strap-like Kitty ornament at a shop as he found it cute
He was particularly charmed by the character's eyes
'I felt relief from work gazing at her eyes,” he recalled
wasting time with a mascot like Kitty.”
'Kitty soothes me and motivates me to work hard.”
His passion for Kitty goods really took off after he retired
He continued splurging at specialty shops and department stores as he sought to expand his collection
Gunji challenged the Guinness World Record in November last year
he carefully selected items for evaluation from his roughly 10,000-piece collection
5,169 items were recognized as collectable items
overturning the previous mark of 4,519 to set a world record
Fans and neighborhood children often visit the Kitty house
Some cuddle with the stuffed animals while others play with toys
Gunji says he's heartened by the smiles of those who come to interact with Kitty
said he was already collecting merchandise when they first met
'At first I wondered if he was okay but gradually I learned that he's a kind
Gunji says he has spent roughly ¥20 million on merchandise and ¥10 million on the house for the character
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