WEBVTT VERMONT MAY BE 6,000 MILES FROM TOTTORI, JAPAN, BUT TONIGHT, IS CLOSER THAN EVER AT THE STATEHOUSE, GOVERNOR SCOTT JOINED THE GOVERNOR OF TOTTORI PREFECTURE, AS JAPANESE STATES ARE KNOWN, TO SIGN FORMAL DOCUMENTS IN BOTH LANGUAGES ESTABLISHING A SISTER-STATE RELATIONSHIP. TOTTORI IS A FAIRLY RURAL, COASTAL DISTRICT ON THE MAIN ISLAND WITH THE SAME POPULATION AS VERMONT THE TWO HAVE HAD A HIGH SCHOOL CULTURAL EXCHANGE PROGRAM FOR A DECADE. THE GOVERNORS EXCHANGED CEREMONIAL KEYS AND HANDSHAKES, AND CALLED THESE KINDS OF RELATIONSHIPS MORE IMPORTANT NOW THAN EVE >> AND TODAY, FINALLY, WE HAV GOT TO GO FORWARD WITH SISTER STATE AGREEMENT. THIS WAY, GOVERNOR SCOTT AND I HAS COME TO BE SISTERS. [LAUGHTER] MAYBE WE SHOULD SAY BROTHER-IN-LAW. [LAUGHTER] STEWART: ON THE BARRE GRANITE KEY, GOVERNOR SCOTT GAVE THE JAPANESE DELEGATION, IT READS SIMPLY,"OUR HOME IS NOW
Vermont joins Tottori, Japan, in sister-state pact
Gov. Phil Scott hopes to widen existing cultural exchanges
![WPTZ logo]()
Updated: 11:20 AM EDT Jul 19, 2018
The Green Mountains of Vermont may be 6,000 miles from Tottori, Japan, but they suddenly feel closer than ever.At the Statehouse this week, Gov. Phil Scott welcomed a delegation from Japan and signed a formal sister-state agreement with Shinji Hirai, governor of the Tottori Prefecture. Tottori is a fairly rural, mountainous coastal district on the main island of Japan, with roughly the same population as Vermont.The governors signed documents in both languages, exchanged ceremonial keys and handshakes, and called these kinds of relationships more important now than ever.The two states have enjoyed a high school and college exchange programs for a decade, and Scott said he hopes to expand the relationship to include trade and tourism.
MONTPELIER, Vt. — The Green Mountains of Vermont may be 6,000 miles from Tottori, Japan, but they suddenly feel closer than ever.
At the Statehouse this week, Gov. Phil Scott welcomed a delegation from Japan and signed a formal sister-state agreement with Shinji Hirai, governor of the Tottori Prefecture.
Tottori is a fairly rural, mountainous coastal district on the main island of Japan, with roughly the same population as Vermont.
The governors signed documents in both languages, exchanged ceremonial keys and handshakes, and called these kinds of relationships more important now than ever.
The two states have enjoyed a high school and college exchange programs for a decade, and Scott said he hopes to expand the relationship to include trade and tourism.
