A half a world away, nestled in the center of Japan, sits Augusta’s sister city, Takarazuka, in the (state of) Hyogo Prefecture.
The sister city agreement was made in the early 1990s by the last Augusta mayor before consolidation, Charles DeVaney, and the two cities were active in engaging one another for well over a decade, according to former Mayor Bob Young.
“I’ve actually been there several times, and it is certainly more of an urban environment than Augusta, but the people are extremely friendly and the food is really good,” Young said.
Takarazuka can trace its roots back to the year 825 A.D. when the shrine of Sumiyoshi was built; however, Augusta, founded in 1736, is actually an older city. It wasn’t until 1954 when the town of Takarazuka and Yoshimoto Village merged to become City of Takarazuka.
With an estimated population of 225,228, Takarazuka is roughly the size of Augusta’s population. However, because Japan is an island, a quarter of a million people fit into a city that is only 39.3 square miles as opposed to Augusta’s 306 square miles.
Takarazuka is situated in a valley between the Rokko Range to the west and Nagao Range to the north with the Muko River running through the center of the city. While the city is a congested place where traffic jams are common, the city does have its own version of Riverwalk.
In the heart of Takarazuka is a four-mile hiking trail on an abandoned railroad line next to the Muko river. It offers spectacular river views including rapids, a gorge and the native cherry blossoms in spring and eye-popping red and yellow leaves in autumn along the ranges.
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Unlike Augusta, Takarazuka also has natural hot springs.
Takarazuka has its own version of Broad Street, only instead of dogwoods, cherry trees line each side of Hana no Michi Street that is filled with art galleries, museums, retail shops and cafes that serve traditional Japanese cuisine.
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Along with football and wrestling, golf is a major sport in Takarazuka, with five golf courses throughout the tiny city. While 2021 Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama, the first Japanese player to win the tournament, may not be a native son of Takarazuka, the city can claim to be the hometown of the late golf legend Kosaku Shimada, who won nine Japanese Tour championships in his career. He, unfortunately, never made it to Augusta National.
The arts are an integral part of the culture of Takarazuka as it is home to Japan’s internationally famous Takarazuka Revue, which is an all-female musical theatre troupe known for performing western plays as well as adaptations of Japanese folklore.
Takarazuka is also known as the birthplace of anime.
Augusta has Leonard “Porkchop” Zimmerman, whose artwork featuring robots is seen everywhere in town. Takarazuka can lay claim to manga artist Osamu Tezuka, who is credited with creating the internationally popular anime genre of art.
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While Augusta’s relationship with Takarazuna might have once been vibrant with regular exchanges, it seems to have gone dormant in recent years. Young says he can remember Augustans raising funds to send stuffed animals and dolls to the children of Takarazuka after the disastrous Great Hanshin earthquake occurred in 1995 and left almost 100 people dead, but he says he hasn’t heard much about the partnership since.
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“I haven’t heard anything lately. I don’t know, it just kinda seems to have fizzled out,” Young said.
Former Commissioner Jerry Brigham says the last event he recalled was a tribute concert held by the Augusta Symphony in 2014.
The only reminder here in Augusta of Takarazuka is the now former Japanese “pocket” water garden located on Riverwalk near the 10th Street bulkhead. What was once a beautiful little nook featuring a waterfall, Japanese climbing plants, a Japanese lantern sculpture and cherry trees is almost unrecognizable today.
The cherry trees along Riverwalk remain, but the lantern sculpture has long been removed or stolen. The plants have been replaced with weeds and only a puddle of water remains of the former waterfall. Graffiti now adorns the granite bench in the garden.
The only remaining vestige of the city of Takarazuka in Augusta is a granite marker proclaiming it Augusta’s sister.
…And that is something you might not have known.
Scott Hudson is the Senior Reporter for The Augusta Press. Reach him at scott@theaugustapress.com
