A recent delegation of Hot Springs students visited Hanamaki, Japan.
Garland County students in grades 8–11 are invited to apply for the 2025 Sister City Student Delegation to Hanamaki, Japan. This exciting program offers a unique opportunity to experience Japanese culture firsthand through a homestay with local families, visits to schools, and cultural activities. Travel will take place in June of 2025.
Hot Springs Sister City Applications are due by 4:00 PM on January 8, 2025. Scholarships are available for students who qualify, to help make this life-changing experience accessible.
Hanamaki in Hot Springs
Hot Springs and Hanamaki, Japan officially became sister cities on January 15, 1993. Hanamaki is a small town in northern Japan, and like Hot Springs, Hanamaki relies on tourism as a chief revenue source. Their bathhouses, called onsen, feature thermal waters from nearby hot springs. The city is surrounded by rolling hills and a low mountain range. Hanamaki is home to the late Miyazawa Kenji, Japan’s most illustrious poet, along with many other artists and poets, giving the city its rich artistic heritage.
While not everyone can visit Hanamaki, it is possible to experience the beauty and culture of Hanamaki in Hot Springs at Garvan Woodland Gardens. The Japanese influence is prominently featured in the Garden of the Pine Wind, which was named and designed with input from the Japanese. They also helped name and dedicate the Sunrise Bridge, and presented a stone lantern that can be seen along the garden trails.
The Hanamaki Permanent Exhibit at the Hot Springs Convention Center is a museum-quality exhibit that features a core sampling of contemporary Japanese folk art, as well as an authentic Deer Dancer costume, a famous symbol of Hanamaki culture. The costume was presented as a gift from Hanamaki during the grand opening ceremonies for the Hot Springs Convention Center in December 1998.
A mural featuring the four seasons of the year in Hanamaki was completed by Italian artist, Pepe Gaka in 2024. The first segment of the mural features a winter scene of one of Hanamaki’s most famous onsen, Osawa Onsen.
The spring mural depicts one of Hanamaki’s many shrines surrounded by beautiful sakura, cherry blossoms, in full bloom. The summer section depicts a couple enjoying a cool treat next to a popular restaurant in Hanamaki. The Hanamaki Festival and a larger-than-life dear dance are the features of the fall portion of the mural. The mural is located at 833 Central Avenue.
Each year, the Hot Springs Sister City Program offers numerous opportunities for the residents of Hot Springs to take part in programs presented in partnership with the Garland County Library and through local civic groups.
The annual Cherry Blossom Festival held each spring celebrates the culture of Japan in an event featuring music, dance, food, and arts. See the Arkansas Cherry Blossom Page
for more information.
For more information or to learn about volunteer opportunities for the Hot Springs Sister City program, call 501-545-6960.
Most importantly, for more information and to apply to be part of the Hot Springs Sister City 2025 Delegation, visit HotSpringsSisterCity.org or Facebook: HotSpringsSisterCityProgram. Don’t miss this chance to represent Hot Springs in Hanamaki, Japan, build lifelong connections, and enjoy this unique cultural experience.
