Findlay enjoys a rich and committed friendship with Japan, one that, over 40 years, has greatly enriched and influenced the community we know.
Pictured top left: Current Gov. Motohiro Ono of the Saitama Prefecture, Japan, during his visit to Findlay in 2024.
Top right: Members of a Findlay delegation sample Fukui sake with former Gov. Kiyoshi Ueda of the Saitama Prefecture in Japan in 2015. They are: Former Findlay Mayor Lydia Mihalik, University of Findlay President Dr. Katherine Fell, Gov. Ueda, Former Findlay Hancock County Economic Development Directors Tim Mayle and Tony Iriti, and Associate Professor of Japanese at UF and Special Assistant to the Director for Findlay Hancock County Economic Development Dr. Hiro Kawamura.
Bottom left: Dr. Fell, Gov. Ono, current Findlay Mayor Christina Muryn and Mihalik ceremonially plant a cherry tree at UF during Ono’s visit. Mihalik is now director of the Ohio Department of Development.
Bottom right: Mihalik, Gov. Ueda, and Dr. Kawamura in Japan in 2012 during a Findlay delegation visit.
By Sarah Mayle
The guest of honor and last to take his place at the podium, Gov. Motohiro Ono of Japan garnered chuckles and smiles as he mirrored the grateful sentiments of local dignitaries who spoke before him. What many may not realize – as Ono spoke of shared experiences and an unwavering friendship – is that this was a historic moment.
His visit to Findlay in the fall of 2024 was 40 years in the making.
Sparked in 1984 by trailblazers in government, business and education, leaders from Findlay and Japan have made it a priority to maintain and build a collaborative friendship – a torch passed through generations. As governor of the Saitama Prefecture of Japan where the city of Kawaguchi is located, Ono’s first visit to Findlay spoke volumes. (A prefecture is comparable to a state in the U.S.) He showed with his presence, like Japanese leaders before him, that this is a friendship to keep. He was welcomed at the University of Findlay by regional and local leaders who feel the same way.
Presentation slides shared by Ono, as well as Ohio Department of Development Director and Former Findlay Mayor Lydia Mihalik, University of Findlay President Dr. Katherine Fell, Findlay Mayor Christina Muryn and Associate Professor of Japanese at UF and Special Assistant to the Director for Findlay·Hancock County Economic Development Dr. Hiro Kawamura, among others, marked years of shared experiences that have built that 40-year friendship.
Forty years that shaped Findlay.
Look around and you will see its influences:
- Eight Japanese manufacturing companies in Hancock County and 16 in Northwest Ohio employ thousands of Ohioans.
- Locals delight in authentic Japanese cuisine at downtown restaurant jewel, Japan West.
- Findlay has been a Friendship City to Kawaguchi – a city of more than 600,000 people in Japan – since 2018.
- Local students take Findlay High School’s Japanese language courses and can visit Japan through exchange programs.
- Findlay welcomes a group of Japanese young business professionals each year for a business exchange program.
- Blanchard Valley Health System made medical forms available in Japanese and works to accommodate and understand cultural needs.
- Community organization Friends of Findlay, a consortium of Japanese companies in Northwest Ohio, welcomes and engages Japanese newcomers in Findlay.
- Beautiful cherry trees and commemorative plaques throughout the city combine to tell a history of friendship gained through treasured moments spent together.
- And Hancock County is home to many Japanese people – our friends.
Beginnings
The journey to friendship began in 1984, when Findlay leaders needed to expand the city’s water treatment plant and explored what was a radical idea at the time. They sought $19.4 million in financing from Dai-Ichi Kangyo Bank in Japan – and got it.
Those leaders knew that in 1979, Honda launched a motorcycle plant in nearby Marysville, which expanded in 1982 to include automobiles. And so, with one successful exchange already under their belts, they sent a delegation to Japan with an eye for business development, envisioning Findlay as the perfect central location, right on I-75, for Japanese auto part manufacturers to set up shop between Detroit and Marysville.
Tony Iriti served Findlay and Hancock County in several leadership roles through more than 30 years and placed the Findlay-Japan relationship as crucial in importance.
“There were lots of groups that went over in the beginning – it was like building a house, you start with the foundation, and what they built was very strong, said Tony Iriti, who directly played a role in maintaining the Findlay-Japan connection for more than 30 years. “(Former Findlay) Mayor Romick, John Kovach, Frank Guglielmi, Puck Rowe, Ken Zirkle, Jim Koehler…they built the foundation that started bringing Japanese companies into town.”
It worked.
Starting in the late 1980s, Japanese companies began locating in Hancock County – eight are here today – and city leaders prioritized making Findlay a welcoming place for the Japanese people who came with them.
Iriti’s service to Findlay is extensive, with roles as city councilman, county auditor, mayor of Findlay, CEO of a flood mitigation partnership, and executive director of Findlay Hancock County Economic Development (FHCED). He was a member of city council when Romick and others sought funding for the water treatment plant and continued the relationship through each of his roles, visiting Japan seven times and receiving Japanese visitors in Flag City countless more.
“What Keith Romick taught me, and I tried to carry on throughout my career, was the value of building relationships,” he said. “What I did was a continuation of the work they did.”
As FHCED director from 2011-2016, Iriti knew maintaining the relationship was of great importance and sought Kawamura’s help to house it in the office, always working closely with local government officials and the University of Findlay. Including all three components – business, education and government “is vital,” Iriti said.
FHCED has continued Iriti’s work – with Kawamura’s leadership – through his successors Tim Mayle, Dan Sheaffer and Christine Keller placing the connection of crucial importance. Kawamura considers Iriti “the bridge” that kept the relationship strong between generations.
“In the context of economic development, when it comes down to the final site selection, almost everything is based on relationship,” Kawamura said. “But just like anywhere else, communication doesn’t happen, dialog doesn’t happen, unless someone makes an effort to connect.
“In a way, we are trying to connect the dots. How do we make the line stronger and thicker? In order to do it, we need to walk with people.”
A photo of a gift given to Chairman Koehi “George” Suzuki of GSW Manufacturing during a delegation visit to Japan in 2012. The photo is the original delegation members who traveled to Japan in 1984. Suzuki was also gifted a City Proclamation in his honor at the time. L-R: Former President of the Findlay/Hancock County Community Development Foundation John Kovach; former Executive Vice President and Director of The Ohio Bank Frank Guglielmi; former President of Koehler Realty Jim Koehler; former President of the University of Findlay Kenneth Zirkle; and former Area Manager for Columbia Gas of Ohio Harold “Puck” Rowe. Kurt Kah, former president of The Findlay Publishing Company, and former Findlay Mayor Keith Romick are not pictured but were part of the original delegation.
A Community of Welcoming
Friends of Findlay, an organization made up of employees from Japan-based companies in Northwest Ohio, was founded in 1993 by Chairman Koehi “George” Suzuki of GSW Manufacturing. The group’s mission is to connect members with each other and to the residents of Findlay, to build a foundation to contribute to Findlay, and to support activities for cultural exchange.
FOF members help each other navigate cultural differences such as language, food, traffic laws, and the way the school and medical systems work. They host numerous events each year to connect – a golf tournament, family picnic with dodgeball, and dinner outings to name a few – often with the greater Findlay community. Between 1995 and 2024, FOF and GSW Manufacturing sponsored and hosted 43 community members for Study Trips to Japan, during which participants were able to visit schools, business headquarters, and cultural attractions – and the program continues.
A Friends of Findlay picnic at the Riverbend Recreation Area with the community in the 2010s.
In the realm of education, in 1992, the University of Findlay, along with other universities, began participating in the Ohio Saitama University Scholarship (OSUS) program as part of Ohio’s sister-state relationship with the Saitama Prefecture. UF is the only university in Ohio still offering the scholarship of a tuition waiver, welcoming one student from Japan each year. It is a gesture of on-going goodwill.
“Through the years, UF has established strong relationships with 10 Japanese universities and two prefectures,” Fell said. “Students, faculty, and staff at UF and those universities enjoy the life-long gifts of cultural understanding and personal friendships that develop from these connections.”
Gov. Kiyoshi Ueda (right) of the Saitama Prefecture visiting with Dr. Katherine Fell (left), president of the University of Findlay, with the help of a translator (center) at the Mazza Museum in 2010.
Findlay leaders plant a cherry tree at Riverside Park to commemorate the friendship between Findlay and Kawaguchi, Japan. The ceremony was held with a group of 10 high school students from Kawaguchi City and their chaperone who visited in August of 2024 as part of Kawaguchi Summer Camp.
Leadership from Blanchard Valley Health System made medical forms available in Japanese, and doctors became familiar with the way Japanese ladies were accustomed to delivering babies. When the coronavirus pandemic began, BVHS collaborated with UF and responded quickly to a request from Friends of Findlay to develop a testing system for the needs of Japanese immigration. The service was valued and utilized by many Japanese companies throughout Northwest Ohio.
Findlay City Schools provided bus service for Japanese students to attend Japanese school in Toledo on Saturdays and recognized that work as part of elective hours toward graduation. The program has since been discontinued, but Findlay City Schools’ strong commitment to English as a Second Language classes is greatly appreciated by Japanese companies and families.
Maile Doyle, former volunteer director for the United Way of Hancock County, was a driving force behind many community efforts to welcome Japanese newcomers. She initiated the International Friendship Circle (IFC), which began in 1999 and continued for more than six years. She also felt honored by the invitation to travel to Japan on a Friends of Findlay Japan Study tour in 2004 – an experience of a lifetime.
“We understood that the men could assimilate through their work, and children through school, but there was no place for the Japanese wives and mothers to assimilate,” Doyle said of the IFC. “We wanted to start something they could do with American women, learn things about our culture and assimilate through volunteering. And we wanted to learn all about their culture as well.”
With the assistance of an interpreter, the group met weekly. They started a choir that performed at local events; volunteered serving water to residents and organizing records at a nursing home; took a field trip to the very intimidating Ace Hardware; celebrated Thanksgiving; went bowling, learned to make maple syrup; and even went dancing at a Polka Fest in Hamler.
Conversely, the Japanese ladies shared New Year’s traditions and cuisine, dressed the American ladies up in kimonos, shared how Mother’s Day is celebrated, and presented an impressive display for Hina Matsuri, or Doll’s Day, a Japanese festival when those who have a daughter pray for good health and prosperity.
“Oh, it was so much fun,” Doyle said. “I remember it all so fondly. It was an incredible cultural experience just as much for all of us as it would have been for our Japanese friends.”
Ladies of the International Friendship Circle dress up in kimonos in the early 2000s. L-R Back Row: Marge Penhalegon, unknown, Shelly Beal, Jeanne Groeneveld, unknown, former Volunteer Director for the United Way of Hancock County Maile Doyle, and Carol Bridinger. L-R Front Row: Michyo Koyama, Siti Sarah Pulcheon, Azah Abdulrahim, Ruth Smitzer.
From 2021-2023, in collaboration with Kawamura, former UWHC Volunteer Director Sarah Mayle organized Community Connections, a program where Japanese ladies met monthly and volunteered alongside four local volunteer ambassadors. The Japanese ladies were able to learn more about the community, practice English, help others, and make friends. The group grew close and often shared traditions within their cultures.
Members of United Way of Hancock County’s Community Connections program sharing Japanese and American desserts in 2022.
“My favorite was when we gathered at Riverside Park and had a potluck to celebrate our year,” Mayle said. “Everyone brought their favorite desserts. It was so interesting trying the Japanese desserts and learning about them, and the Japanese ladies were so fun and animated trying ours. Who wouldn’t get a chuckle out of eating like 10 desserts in one sitting? It was a real bonding experience.”
UWHC continues to be a welcoming facilitator in connecting international newcomers with the community in Findlay.
Japan West
It was Chairman Suzuki of GSW Manufacturing, who decided to locate the company’s North American Headquarters to Findlay in 1989. GSW is a wiring harness manufacturer for the automotive industry, and it was the first of the Japan-owned companies to call Findlay home. Not only did Suzuki start Friends of Findlay and support Study Trips to Japan, but he encouraged and partnered with community leaders in additional ways to cultivate cultural enrichment for the Findlay community. He was awarded in 2012 a City of Findlay Proclamation by Mayor Mihalik which named him an “Ambassador to the City of Findlay.” Another part of his contribution to Findlay, is Japan West.
As the story goes, former Mayor Romick and Chairman Suzuki were friends. They discussed a Japanese restaurant in Findlay, a place for all to enjoy authentic Japanese cuisine while also offering a piece of home for Japanese people living in Findlay. Suzuki, with GSW, opened Japan West in 1994 and even during lean years when Japan West struggled to make ends meet, the Suzuki family supplemented the restaurant to keep it open.
Former Findlay Mayor Lydia Mihalik, GSW Chairman Koehi “George” Suzuki and Tony Iriti, during a visit to Japan when Suzuki was gifted a City of Findlay Proclamation and a framed photo of members of the original Findlay delegation. Suzuki selected Findlay for GSW Manufacturing’s North American headquarters.
“That’s Japanese culture in a nutshell, ‘My word is my word,’” Iriti said of Chairman Suzuki’s commitment to Japan West. Suzuki’s contributions to Findlay and the Findlay-Japan friendship were Many years later, Iriti represented Findlay at his friend Koehi’s funeral in Japan.
Japan West was a vision. It was, Kawamura said, a beautiful gesture – to connect the community and bring people together.
“If you look at their clientele, there are lots of Japanese people there, but lots of the Findlay community,” Kawamura explained. “People are there enjoying themselves and having a good time. Its main goal was to serve as a bridge, and it did. It succeeded.”
Benefits in Business and Government
When delegations go to Japan, the group visits leaders at the headquarters of Northwest Ohio companies, along with prospective ones. They visit Japanese government officials, schools, significant historical landmarks, and eat – as custom dictates – all of the Japanese food placed before them, no matter how different from conventional American cuisine. It is cultural immersion. Always at the top of the list for discussion: “How can we grow our relationship?”
During a visit with Fukui Prefectural Government leaders one year, Fukui leaders suggested increased business exchange. As a result, leaders from the City of Findlay and FHCED started attending the Hokuriku Techno Fair, a regional technical exhibition in Japan. And, FHCED started the Fukui / Findlay International Business Seminar in partnership with UF, now in its fifth year.
During the seminar, six to eight Japanese business professionals, hand-picked by their companies, are welcomed to Findlay for 10 days, touring local manufacturers, attending business training programs, taking in dining and cultural experiences like the Halloween parade, and experiencing American culture at local house parties.
“This is an incredible opportunity for exchange,” said Tim Mayle, Former Assistant Executive Director with Iriti, then Executive Director of FHCED from 2011-2022. Mayle traveled to Japan seven times as part of delegations and continues to support Japanese visitors and relationships since taking a new role in 2022.
“These professionals then go back to Japan and continue to succeed and make their way up in companies. Because they have experienced Findlay, they may use their influence to establish further relationships down the road. And it is an honor to share our best practices and culture with them. It’s important for business and economic development, but it’s also a ton of fun.”
Pictured front, Dr. Hiro Kawamura, Associate Professor of Japanese at UF and Special Assistant to the Director for Findlay Hancock County Economic Development and Tim Mayle, director of the Center to Advance Manufacturing, host business professionals from Japan who came to Findlay for 10 days as part of the Findlay / Fukui International Business Seminar. Also welcoming our Japanese visitors are Findlay Mayor Christina Muryn, Chris Keller, director of FHCED, and Sarah Mayle, FHCED communications coordinator, dining at Beer Barrel restaurant.
Former Findlay Hancock County Economic Development Director Dan Sheaffer speaks about economic development with Japanese business professionals participating in the Findlay / Fukui International Business Seminar in 2024.
In 2018, the City of Findlay and Kawaguchi City of Japan signed a historic friendship agreement, a commitment to enrich their business, government and educational relations. Kawaguchi Mayor Nobuo Okunoki, then-Findlay Mayor Lydia Mihalik, along with several Findlay community members and Japanese dignitaries, some adorned in kimonos, attended the ceremony at Riverside Park to unveil a Friendship Cities monument marking the occasion.
This is a very special relationship,” said current Findlay Mayor Christina Muryn, who has served on a delegation to Japan and values the opportunity to welcome Japanese visitors to Findlay. “Though other communities may have friendship or sister cities agreements, I believe the layers of relationships that we have built are unique. This creates a more meaningful bond with a profound impact.”
Cherry trees – a symbol of lasting friendship between the U.S. and Japan – can be found throughout Findlay. In 2012, Friends of Findlay, the City of Findlay and FHCED planted 12 cherry trees at Riverside Park as a part of the city’s bicentennial celebration. In 2018, a plaque was installed and cherry trees planted in the heart of Findlay – Dorney Plaza – as part of its revitalization and to mark the importance of the Findlay-Japan tie. Many cherry trees have been planted on the grounds of the University of Findlay, one of which is dedicated to Chairman Suzuki. Another cherry tree and memorial stand in honor of Suzuki at the Hancock County Historical Museum. In a gesture of friendship, Findlay leaders also planted a cherry tree for the Consul General of Japan in Detroit, Mitsuhiro Wada, at his home in 2016.
“The value of this relationship cannot be emphasized enough,” said Christine Keller, executive director of FHCED, who stepped into the lead role in December. “The foundation built by generations is strong but requires commitment to keep it that way. I look forward to taking a central role in continuing this unique and special bond.”
During a ceremony on Aug. 16, 2018, Okunoki and Mihalik celebrate a memorial stone and plaque dedicated to the Friendship Cities agreement between Kawaguchi, Japan and Findlay, placed at Riverside Park.
Legacy
Today, Hancock County is home to eight Japanese manufacturers, most related to the auto industry – GSW Manufacturing, Inc.; Hitachi Astemo Americas, Inc.; Sanoh America, Inc.; Molten North America Corp.; Roki America Co.; Prospira American Corp.; and Freudenbery-NOK Sealing Technologies (Japanese and German). A sales office for Fuji System USA, a Japanese medical supply company, is also located in Findlay.
Other Japan-based companies outside of the county are SumiRiko Ohio, located in Bluffton; Ada Technologies Inc., in Ada; ProTec, in Leipsic; Sekisui Kasei USA, in Kenton; American Fine Sinter Co. and Taiho Corp. of America in Tiffin; DOWA THT American, Inc., in Bowling Green; and Kasai Manufacturing in Upper Sandusky. Because of its welcoming atmosphere, many Japanese employees of these companies live in Findlay.
In 2024 alone, Findlay welcomed Gov. Ono, a scholarship student at UF, 10 students from Japan visited Findlay for a week in August as part of Kawaguchi Friendship Camp, and in October, seven business professionals came as part of the Fukui / Findlay International Business Seminar. Local community leaders visited with the Consul General of Japan in Detroit, then later welcomed him to a dinner and reception of farewell at the conclusion of his assignment, and attended the Midwest U.S.-Japan Conference, this year hosted by Ohio in Columbus.
Iriti would be glad to know that, after an interruption caused by the coronavirus pandemic, Findlay leaders plan to send a delegation to Japan in 2025.
A Findlay cherry tree in bloom. Cherry trees have been a symbol of lasting friendship between the U.S. and Japan since 1912 when Mayor Yukio Ozaki of Tokyo presented 3,000 of the trees to the city of Washington, DC. The blossoms are adored and celebrated in Japan for their beauty. They symbolize hope in new beginnings, love, and – as the blossoms typically last for only about two weeks – cherishing the moment in each day.
“I feel very strongly that maintaining the commitment to the Japanese in Findlay and Hancock County is paramount to anything else we can do,” Iriti said. “It is so important to our community – just as much as a company like Marathon Oil – as it brings cultural exchange and is vital to the economy as a whole.
“Not only that, but I know I am one of many who have made friendships to last a lifetime.”
When Japanese delegations and exchange groups visit Findlay, a commemorative ceremony is often part of the agenda, with a thoughtful memorial placed in remembrance. A stone monument, plaques, and numerous beautiful cherry trees dot the city’s landscape today. From dates and events carved in stone to vibrant, flourishing blossoms, these hallmarks of history serve as motivation to further our rich Findlay-Japan history. And they are a quiet, enduring reminder of the legacy that shaped Findlay.
One built by people walking together.
