Knowing that Sakai’s Mayor Nagafuji wants more business start-ups in biotech and other emerging business, during our visit to Sakai last April we presented the Mayor with an idea. What about having a UC Berkeley student come to Sakai to help teach scientific English so that students from Sakai would succeed in entering Cal State East Bay, Berkeley City College, or the UC system, with the aim of bringing home valuable knowledge. The result was his desire to visit us in Fall, 2026 to meet the people at SkyDeck and the Haas E-Hub and to see how we do high school. After many long threads of back and forth with the International Division folks in Sakai, it all came together in an utterly-packed two-night, day-and-a-half visit from November 12-14.
Visitors from Sakai/Osaka:
Sakai Mayor Hideki Nagafuji
Hisahiko Masaki, Director, Board of Directors, Sakai-Berkeley Association
Nobuo Nishiura, Manager in Charge of Innovation Hub Development, Sakai CityShintaro Takada, Secretary to the Mayor
Kazuyuki Suwa, Senior Leader, International Division
(the amazing) Yasuko Nagai, Interpreter to the Mayor
Toshiyuki Matsui, Vice President for Innovation Development and
Entrepreneurship, Osaka Metropolitan University
Naoyuki “Nick” Ushio, Project Professor, Organization for Research Promotion,
Director, Startup Creation & Support Center at OMU
Kind of a great bunch of folks!
We took them to Noria Winery, where Nori Nakamura delivered an in-depth tour discussing micro-climates and soil varieties of CA wines), the Sundial (still looking good at the base of the Berkeley Pier), and Takara Sake, where they learned from Senior Sales & Marketing Manager Hideki Inoue the importance of Calrose rice. Finally it was time to check into the Residence Inn (incredible help from Visit Berkeley’s Jeffrey Church in getting reduced rates and the finest rooms, as well as generous welcome baskets, including Cal hats!). Then we experienced a wonderful banquet at our new “clubhouse,” the party room of Revival Bar & Kitchen, attended by Councilmember Igor Tregub, Board members Brad McCullough, Amani Meleis, Robert Lucchese and Kate Lucchese and Emerita Board Member Maria LaForge and continuing Board Sergeant-at-Arms David LaForge. There were many good speeches and gift-giving, and Mini-Goodwill Trip Member Chef Amy Murray came out for fond greetings, a demonstration of Osaka slang, and accolades on her food.
First thing next morning we collected Kumi Sawada Hadler (of the Center for Japanese Studies) for her insights on life in Berkeley. After a rainy-fun tour of Mortar Rock (with a little Ohlone & Miwok history) and Berkeley Bowl Marketplace (where we saw Calrose rice right off!), the whole delegation had an in-depth visit to Berkeley High (thanks to Amani Meleis, Alumni Club and Academic Choice President). This included Mr. Dopman’s Law and Social Justice Class, a meeting of Vice Principal Clegg, Principal Raygoza, and all the other vice principals. Also on the agenda was Ms. Cline’s fab Intermediate Jazz class, where we were dazzled by “Fly Me to the Moon” and “Walk Don’t Run,” with Amani on trumpet. One BHS student, awestruck at the sight of the dignitaries in their black suits, spread the word: the Mayor of Sakai, our sister-city, was on campus!
A rainy but pleasant walk to the Center for Japanese Studies followed, for tea and to converse with its distinguished director, archaeologist Junko Habu. Here we met Cal student/rising entrepreneur Shuhei Koike who joined us for a lovely lunch with Mayor Ishii at Julia’s Restaurant in the City Club before the key visit to SkyDeck, to meet all its major players:
Elizabeth Redman Cleveland & Eleanor Hollander (City of Berkeley Office of Economic Development)
Darren Cooke (UC Berkeley Innovation and Entrepreneurship)
Mike Cohen (UC Berkeley Intellectual Property & Industry Research Alliances)
Sibyl Chen (UC Berkeley SkyDeck)
Ruben Lizardo (UC Berkeley Government & Community Relations)
Jennifer Tang and Todd Pray (Lawrence Berkeley National Lab)
John Caner (Downtown Berkeley Association and City of Berkeley Office of Economic Development).
A final visit to Dawn McGee at the E-Hub of Haas Business School, then it was time for a brief tour of Doe Library and a 6:00 PM carillon concert at the Campanile. As night closed in we were given a personal tour of favorite campus spots by Chris Reed of Cal’s Global Engagement Office, himself a trainee of Fern Harger in the 2001 Santa Rosa-Kagoshima exchange. Under clearing skies we walked for a final cheerful dinner at Eureka! Restaurant on Center Street, sampling the local Trumer Pils, nachos, and burgers, at which OMU
start-up expert Nick Ushio declared that a small start-up in Sakai might indeed result from this visit. At 6:45 next morning we gathered with stalwart van driver Mr. Okamoto to see them off, seeds planted for future success!
