Tsuruoka, Japan - In 1869, Tsuruoka sent Suburo Takagi, a student to Rutgers College to help another student. Takagi became one of the first members of the Japanese Consulate, serving in San Francisco and New York.  Tsuruoka is located in a rural area on the Sea of Japan, northwest of Tokyo and has a population of over 100,000. Sister Cities programs with Tsuruoka have included looking at health issues and its relationship to becoming a healthy adult - a joint program with Debrecen; art and educational student exchanges, etc. The official Sister Cities agreement was signed in June of 1960.

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