Alameda Hosts Hasuda City Delegation and USS Hornet STEM Showcase

International civic diplomacy, maritime science education, and regional cultural festivals anchored East Bay community life this week. In Alameda, municipal leaders welcomed a delegation from Hasuda City, Japan, to explore a formal sister-city partnership while the historic aircraft carrier USS Hornet prepared for the return of its third annual Techs on Decks innovation showcase on November 14, following weekend Diwali celebrations across Oakland, Milpitas, and San Francisco.

Hasuda City Delegation Explores Sister-City Partnership With Alameda

On Monday, November 2, a delegation from Hasuda City, Japan, visited Alameda to discuss establishing a sister-city relationship with Alameda Mayor Marilyn Ezzy Ashcraft and Alameda Sister City Association (ASCA) President Sarah Henry. The connection followed a luncheon last month celebrating Alameda's sister-city ties with Jiangyin, China, where ASCA members met Consul General of Japan in San Francisco Kotaro Otsuki, who introduced the committee to Hasuda City Mayor Kyoko Yamaguchi.

Hasuda City, located near Tokyo in Saitama Prefecture, has a population of just over 61,000 residents. Yamaguchi—one of roughly 80 women mayors in Japan, representing 4.3% of the nation's mayors—was first elected to the Hasuda City Council in 1999, served five council terms, won election to the Saitama Prefectural Assembly for Eastern District 5 in 2019, and has served as Mayor of Hasuda City since 2022.

Alameda's committee chair for the prospective partnership is Yuki Langwerowski, owner and instructor at the Blue Moon Learning Center. The visiting delegation also included Masao Kuribara, CEO of the parent company of Sasala Dining, which operates 16 locations in the United States, and former head chef at the Japanese Embassy in the Netherlands. During the November 2 meeting, Yamaguchi presented Alameda with a puppet of Hasuda City's mascot, Hasupi, while Alameda officials gifted a city-emblem notebook and pen, and resident Yuki Hirano and ASCA Vice President Brian Tremper presented Lincoln Park Pickleball T-shirts. Alameda currently maintains sister-city partnerships with Jiangyin, China; Dumaguete, Philippines; Yeongdong, South Korea; and Varazze, Italy, plus a friendship-city relationship with Wuxi, China.

Third Annual Techs on Decks Returns to the USS Hornet on November 14

Along the Alameda waterfront at 707 West Hornet Avenue, the aircraft carrier USS Hornet will host its third annual Techs on Decks celebration of sea, air, and space innovation on November 14, marking the anniversary of the Apollo 12 Moon landing, for which the Hornet served as the recovery ship. The event offers free parking and free admission for educators and learners with identification who register online in advance, along with free pizza, cookies, and prize drawings.

Aboard the carrier, exhibitors will present hands-on STEM activities, interactive robotics, educational video stations, and live demonstrations of air pressure, navigation, and catapult systems. Hour-long docent-led tours running throughout the day will cover five operational zones: the Flight Deck (air traffic control, catapult, and arresting gear), Engine Room, Power Generation (converting salt water to steam), Navigation room instruments, and the Combat Information Center and Radio Central.

Thousands Gather Across Oakland and the Bay Area for Diwali

Across the East Bay and neighboring communities, thousands of residents gathered over the weekend to celebrate Diwali, the festival of lights observed by Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, and Jains. On Saturday, several thousand attendees came together for Oakland's fourth annual free Diwali festival, while Sunday marked the main day of Diwali across the region.

In Milpitas, the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir—which has hosted its public celebration at its current temple site since 2007—featured handmade decorative archways and an offering of 451 vegetarian meals representing dishes from across India and the world, drawing attendees including Danville resident Janki Dubal and Los Altos resident Mohit Daswani. In San Francisco, around 3,500 people visited Yerba Buena Gardens on Sunday for its inaugural Diwali festival, which Yerba Buena Gardens Conservancy Executive Director Seve Ghose said organizers aim to establish as an annual tradition.