Establishment of the twinning with Ichikawa
In soccer, there have always been contacts between FC Ichikawa and the Bavarian Football Association BFV in Innzell in a regular training camp. Through the association, city councilor Horst Winkler established the first contacts with Rosenheim. Since 2005, joint soccer tournaments of FC Ichikawa have been held annually in Rosenheim, and since summer 2008, a soccer camp lasting several weeks has been held on the Sportbund campus.
Another foundation stone for the relationship was laid by the internationally renowned Japanese landscape painter and honorary citizen of Ichikawa, Kaii Higashiyama. Higashiyama studied art history in Berlin and lived for many years in Rupertigau and Chiemgau. After his death, the first contact with his widow Sumi took place in Rosenheim.
Since 2003 there is an annual student exchange between the Municipal Secondary School for Girls Rosenheim and schools in Ichikawa. On 14.07.2004 a joint memorandum on cultural, sports and youth exchange was signed. Due to the close relations with numerous activities and projects, Mayor Gabriele Bauer and Mayor Mitsuyuki Chiba sealed an official twinning agreement in Rosenheim on 05.08.2008.
Information about Ichikawa
Ichikawa (population approx. 495,592) was formed in 1934 by the merger of the cities of Ichikawa, Yawata and Nakayama and the village of Kokubun. The city is located in the northwest of Chiba Prefecture. It borders the Edogawa district of Tokyo to the west, separated by the Edo River, and Tokyo Bay to the south. The distance to the center of Tokyo is about 20 kilometers. Ichikawa is the most important center in the Tokyo area.