Support Phoenix Teachers in Himeji, Japan

About Us!

Hello! We are Alyssa, Barbara, Leslie, Meg, Mel, Sabrina, and Sarah. We are teachers selected by Phoenix Sister Cities, a non-profit government organization, to teach English in Himeji, Japan, as part of a longtime Teach Abroad program that has been in place for 48 years.

Our cohort will depart on August 24th and spend up to two years working in elementary, junior high, and high schools, as well as teaching English to the local adult community. We hope to instill a love for learning English in our future students in Himeji. Our aim is to teach about America and Arizona, and in turn, we're eager to learn about and immerse ourselves in Japanese culture.

We are honored and excited to represent Phoenix, Arizona in this unique opportunity. We are looking forward to sharing our culture and building lasting relationships while also learning from the rich traditions and experiences of Himeji. Through this program, we hope to strengthen the sisterhood between our two cities and foster mutual understanding and respect.

About Himeji!

Himeji is located along the Seto Inland Sea about 40 miles west of Kobe, the capital of Hyogo Prefecture. The city is surrounded by both the mountains and the sea, making Himeji a somewhat isolated city. With a population of around 530,000 people, it is the second largest city in the Hyogo prefecture. Himeji and Phoenix established a sister city relationship in 1976.

The city grew rapidly in the late 1990s, becoming one of the Prefecture’s largest industrial centers, manufacturing iron, steel, textiles, and leather goods. Himeji is known for the Oshiro Castle or “White Heron Castle,” which is considered the best-preserved castle in Japan and has been designated a United Nations World Treasure.

How You Can Help!

Your donation will help us purchase school supplies and materials for cultural lessons such as: English language books, educational games, an overhead projector, notebooks, pencils, erasers, crayons, markers, glue, scissors, tissue paper, stickers, etc. These are all to help create a more engaging learning environment. Additionally, the funds will help support improvements to Shirasagi, our residence building and community center for local community English lessons.