The State of Washington, which rests slightly North of Hokkaido on the same latitude line, is met by the West Coast, and by the border of Canada to the North. The overall area is 176,600 square meters, which is slightly less than half of the total area of Japan, and the population of the state is 5,000,000 people, which is close to the average for the entire country. In the west lay the Olympic mountains, and in the center are the Cascade mountains, which run North and South. This row of mountains divide the state into East and West, and includes Mount Rainier with its peak elevation of 4392 meters. Due to the shape of the land and the flow of ocean currents, the West side of the Cascades creates a warm oceanic climate, where in particular, there is a large amount of rain on the Pacific Ocean side of the Olympic peninsula, where the rain forest in the State park is made up of coniferous trees. On the other hand, the severe difference between cold and warm temperature creates a continental climate on the East side of the Cascades, where the earth is a reddish brown and covered by brush / shrubs and heavy snows. 182 kilometers South of the Canadian border sits Seattle within the Puget Sound, which is the largest metropolitan city in the State. Surrounded by mountains and greenery, Seattle is fondly called the "Emerald City", and is regularly voted as the most desirable city to live in throughout the U.S. There is a variety of nationalities and cultural diversity, and a broad international vision. The high quality of life here is one reason why it is so popular.

The cultivation of Seattle began in 1851. Shortly thereafter, it became a distribution center for lumber products and during the gold rush, soon fostered the development of many saw mills, farms and fisheries at a rapid pace. After the turn of the 20th century, World War One and World War Two resulted in the Boeing company beginning to develop the munition industry. After the Great Depression, many dams were created along the Columbia river, and as the Eastern part of the state was developed for the farming industry, the aluminum refineries which used large amounts of electricity began to grow, and this had a big effect on the prosperity of the Boeing company. After this, the industries began their aim at diversification, and the software industries began to develop at a feverish pace, spawning giants like Microsoft and Adobe (formerly Aldus), making this a main area for high technology industries. Also, with the interest in mother nature and the outdoor sports boom as a backdrop, casual fashion became another popular industry. Another important example is the marine products industry, with a number of large Japanese companies finding their way into Washington. Wood products, the first industry for Washington, still continues to prosper, where the milled lumber, plywood, paper and pulp industries are large contributors to the local economy.

The first exchange between Washington and Japan took place in 1834. The Owarihan cargo vessel "Hojunmaru" became shipwrecked, and after drifting at sea for 1 year and two months, and it is said that the three men (Otokichi, Iwakichi, Hisakichi) that drifted to Flattery Point at the North end of the Olympic Peninsula were the first Japanese to set foot in the USA. In 1896, ever since the postal ship "Miikemaru" entered the Seattle Port, Seattle filled an important role as the main entry from Asia. Currently, Japan is the largest trading partner with Washington for both exports and imports. Washington exports airplanes, forest products, fish products, aluminum, etc. to Japan, and in the other direction receives imports of automobiles, stereo equipment, etc. from Japan. The number of Japanese corporations in Washington is approaching over 200, and the number of Japanese residents is growing every year. There are currently 15,000 Japanese living in the State of Washington, and about 10,000 Japanese living in Seattle. Japanese is becoming a popular subject being taught at public high schools, and interest in Japan is growing daily.

Within the state of Washington, there are 20 cities which share sister city relationships with Japan, and one of the very important relationships among them is that of Seattle and the city of Kobe in the Hyogo Prefecture. The cities of Seattle and Kobe are just one of 10 cities which share an active relationship. Inside the Kobe Seishin Newtown, there is "Seattle Village", and in Mita city, which is the sister city to the Kittatus area, there is "Washington Village". An American suburban image was accomplished for each of these communities, where houses are lined up that were built with wood products from the State of Washington, using the North American 2x4 method of construction.

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Washington State Housing & Building Materials for Japan. Last modified: 04/10/02