Welcome

Since 1989, a wide array of programs and exchanges have taken place-- including civic, educational, horticultural, cultural and medical exchanges.

Projects with Duke Gardens

Traditional Japanese Tea Gatherings: Open to all. Join us for a moment of respite in the Duke Gardens teahouse...Please see the 2012 schedule and details here.

Horticultural Exchanges: Duke Gardens sent a delegation to Toyama, Japan in late September 2010, to learn about Japanese garden features. In 2012 a renowned Japanese horticulturalist will visit here.

Middle School Exchanges

In 2012 a middle-school delegation and the Durham Children’s' Choir will visit Toyama to reciprocate the 2010 visit by Japanese middle school students (September 22 --25, 2010). A delegation of 15 Japanese middle school students were hosted by Brogden Middle School and stayed with host families throughout Durham.  Their activities included Brogden school activities, a tour of Durham, and a meeting with the Mayor Protem, Cora Cole-McFadden.  At a farewell event on Saturday, they were treated to a hiphop dance lesson by Ninth Street Dance studio, and a performance by the Durham Children's Choir. This visit continues an ongoing exchange of middle school students between Durham and Toyama since 1995. See a news article at our Toyama weblink "2010 Toyama student visit".

Our Two Cities of Medicine: Doctor Exchanges

A newly-negotiated agreement with Duke University Medical Center will bring interns from Toyama to Durham on a regular basis. Upcoming projects include a Duke physician lecturing in Toyama.

Recently, Dr. Warburton, head of Family Medicine at Duke Medical Center, hosted Dr. Miura of Toyama City Hospital (and Dr. Miura's colleagues) for extensive tours of Duke Medical Center. Dr. Warburton and his wife also held a reception in Durham honoring the medical exchange delegates, attended by Toyama committee and Sister Cities members.

The following letter was sent by Dr. Warburton, head of Family Medicine at Duke Medical Center to Mayor Mori in Toyama.

Honorable Mayor Mori:

I want to thank you for supporting Dr. Masayoshi Miura during his recent visit to Durham, North Carolina and Duke University.  It was a pleasure to host his visit, and to share our residency operations and pediatric operations and also review how we do "urgent care" at Duke.  We had a good exchange of ideas and issues.  Later in the week,  Dr. Miura was joined by colleagues from around Japan who were focused on hospital infection control.  They spent some intensive time at the medical center learning how Duke manages these problems and also sharing strategies and ideas.

Thank you again for your support of the sister cities exchange.  We are stronger at Family Medicine for the exchange and hope that Dr. Miura and Toyama City Hospital is as well.

Sincerely,

Woody Warburton, MD
Professor and Chief
Family Medicine Division, DUMC

In October 2011, Dr. Sarah Hodges visited the Ear, Nose, and Throat Clinic of Toyama City Hospital. See our Facebook album "2011 Oct Medical Exchange to Toyama" for additional photos: