Those visitors, all from Livingston's sister city, Wakami, arrived on Livingston soil Tuesday morning, where they were greeted by well-wishers from all over town as their white van approached City Hall.
"The way of welcoming people is very different from Japan," said Etsuko Ito, a 55-year-old junior high school vice principal. "It was wonderful. I cried."
Ito was also shocked by the police escort from Modesto provided to the six visitors, as well as the number of people who lined the streets to wave as they passed.
"We were very surprised, shocked and happy," she said.
Wakami's sister-city ties with Livingston were forged in 1994, and students from Japan began visiting Livingston in 1993.
The city's current visitors include Ito, a member of Wakami's school board, two junior high school students, and two high school students.
"I think more cities need to do this," said Mayor Gurpal Samra. "This is the best way to build friendships. I think a lot of problems in the world would go away if we get to know each other better."
Samra said he welcomed the all-female delegation as he would family.
"If the cities of Livingston and Wakami are sister cities, that makes us family," he said.
Wakami, with a population of about 8,500, is an agricultural community in the Akita Prefecture of northwestern Japan. The city's main crops are rice, melon, tobacco, flowers, grapes and potatoes.
Rolling out the red carpet made sense to Police Chief Bill Eldridge and Henry Escobar, superintendent of the Livingston Union School District -- and a past visitor to Wakami.
"When our visitors go to Japan, they're treated like dignitaries," Eldridge said.
The visitors' itinerary through Thursday will keep them busy until their Friday departure. Visits to Livingston's middle school and high school are among the scheduled activities, as well as roller skating and shopping excursions, and a trip to Yosemite National Park.
"It's going to be exciting for them to participate in activities with our students," said Eva de Long, director of the city's child development program.
Two of the school-aged girls will be staying with de Long.
"The objective is to build friendly relationships between two countries, and it's amazing the difference that can make," she said.
Shirley Olson, president of the Wakami-Livingston Sister City Committee, said the program grows by leaps and bounds every year.
Livingston sent a 13-person delegation about a year ago, and another delegation will head for Japan next fall, she said.
Olson said that during her trip to Wakami Japanese residents flew the American flag with pride.
"The American flag was flying right next to the Japanese flag," she said. "It gave me goose bumps." A farewell, or sayonara, dinner for the visitors will be hosted by Olson on Thursday.
Yuko Kosokabe, a member of Wakami's school board, said she is pleased to be staying with a family who knows no Japanese, so she will have to practice her English.
"I'm surprised by the big welcome," Kosokabe, 43, said. Reporter Stacey Wiebe can be reached at 385-2455 or swiebe@mercedsun-star.com.
