A tsunami decimated Rikuzentakata, Japan in 2011. The city was destroyed and many people were killed. Crescent City also shares a similar tsunami story. In 1964, a tsunami struck Crescent City and demolished the thriving seaport town — it was the most destructive tsunami to ever hit the United States.

When the small fishing boat from a Rikuzentakata high school, Kamome, was discovered on a beach in Crescent City in 2013 and then returned, this sparked a deep friendship and community connection between our two cities.

The Kamome Foundation helps to keep this story alive and the connection with our sister city growing and developing into positive cultural, educational and economic development partnerships for both communities.