Southern High School in Guam Signs Contract with Okayama Higashi

Guam’s Southern High School signed a Sister-School agreement with Japan’s Okayama Higashi Commercial High School in a signing ceremony at the Southern High School Library on Thursday, December 14th at 10:00 am.

The principal of Southern High Michael Meno, along with SHS assistant principals, faculty, SHS National Technical Honor Society students, Guam Visitors Bureau Japan Managers, and JTB/PMT Tours welcomed Okayama principal Moriyama Yasuyuki and dignitaries in attendance:

Senator Dwayne San Nicolas, Guest of Honor Deputy Consul General of Japan in Hagatna Osamu Ogata, Santa Rita Mayor Dale Alvarez’s Office.

Also welcomed were those attending via live web video: Okayama Higashi student representatives, Okayama City Hall International Division, and Okayama Prefectural Government officials.

“We love Guam’s culture and the local people, so it is a great honor for us to become sister schools with Southern High School,” Okayama Higashi Principal Moriyama told the audience.

Okayama Higashi Commercial High School Principal Moriyama Yasuyuki and Southern High School Principal Michael Meno show their signed agreements certifying them as sister schools.

His statement echoes the sentiment of travelers who recently participated in a GVB exit survey and claimed that Guam’s culture and local people were one of their favorite things about Guam. According to Moriyama, this was the reason he visited Guam twice and chose to partner with a Guam high school.

Guam Visitors Bureau marks this sister-school partnership as a positive milestone in the recovery of the Japanese tourist market, specifically the Meetings, Incentives, Convention, and Education (MICE) market.

“Guam has a long history with Okayama as a sister city, so we are honored to have our schools work together. This event is a positive sign for the future of our Japan market and its growth toward pre-pandemic arrival levels,” said GVB President & CEO Carl T.C. Gutierrez.

After struggling through COVID-19, Typhoon Mawar, and an unfavorable exchange rate of the Japanese Yen, the Japanese market has been slow to recover and educational groups have become an important part of GVB’s multi-faceted plan to bring tourists back to Guam.

Guam Visitors Bureau’s Japan Marketing Manager Regina Nedlic welcomes Okayama Higashi Commercial High School Principal Moryama Yasuyuki with gifts from Guam at Southern High School during the sister school signing event on December 14th.
SOURCE: Guam Southern High Signs Agreement with Okayama Higashi