PONTIAC, Mich., Aug. 21, 2025 — Today, state Rep. Brenda Carter (D-Pontiac) will welcome a delegation from Kusatsu, Shiga Prefecture, Japan. This delegation continues a long-standing friendship between Pontiac and Kusatsu, a relationship carefully nurtured by community leaders, including the late Betty Esnault, the late Nancy Van Hull, Monetta Foster, Walter Moore, Randy Carter, William Carrington, Sebrina Shields and Candice Ridley.
“There are those who say peace and reconciliation are impossible in a world divided by hatred and separatism,” Carter said. “I beg to differ. I have seen peace in the hearts of our children, and I have seen the legacy of leaders like Betty Esnault and Nancy Van Hull, who made sure this bond endured.”
In 2015, through the efforts of Dr. Fred Pearson and Professor Susumu Suzuki of Wayne State University’s Peace and Conflict Studies program, 10 educators earned the opportunity to study in Japan, six of whom were from the Pontiac School District. Their mission was to create programs that would promote peace and reconciliation between the two nations.
In 2016, a small committee was formed to prepare 11 Pontiac middle school students to learn about Japanese cuisine, language and culture. After nearly a year of study, the students traveled to Kusatsu on Oct. 23, 2017, staying with local families and attending school. The following year, seven Kusatsu students came to Pontiac, where they lived with families in the community and studied in local schools.
This three-year cultural exchange culminated in two unforgettable videos in which American and Japanese children sang the song “Sukiyaki” in both Japanese and English.
“The most profound moment came not in the mastery of language or music, but when the children embraced one another in tears, showing that despite differences in culture and nationality, they were united like family. What especially moves me is their compassion and pure hearts,” Carter continued. “Their voices and their tears remind us that peace and reconciliation are not only possible, they are already happening.”
Carter temporarily stepped up as an active member of the Greater Pontiac Sister City Club to maintain the relationship after the passing of President Betty Esnault and Vice President Nancy Van Hull. Today, she continues to support the partnership between Pontiac, Michigan, and Kusatsu, Shiga Prefecture, through the ongoing work of the Sister City Club and community members dedicated to this cause.
As Pontiac welcomes the Kusatsu delegation, Carter emphasized that this enduring relationship continues to build bridges of peace, honoring those who kept the connection alive and inspiring future generations to carry it forward.
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