Birmingham - Ritto

History of relationship

The Sister City agreement between Birmingham, Michigan, USA and Ritto, Shiga, Japan was signed on April 12, 1976.  In Birmingham, the Sister City program is coordinated through the City Manager’s Office.  For 35 years, the cities of Ritto and Birmingham have enjoyed a valuable sister city relationship which has allowed residents from our two cities the opportunity to share in one another’s culture and traditions and to learn a great deal from one another.  The Sister City program and Goodwill Missions have also led to a number of lasting friendships between participants in both nations.

Culture and Arts

Birmingham residents esteem culture and the arts, and support a variety of community-based organizations in their hometown and in the larger metropolitan Detroit community.  From the 24-foot-high bronze statue of artist Marshall Fredericks' "The Freedom of the Human Spirit" in downtown Birmingham's Shain Park, to a rotating public art project, visual arts are evident throughout the community.  The Birmingham Bloomfield Art Center offers classes, workshops and tours; The Community House offers hundreds of enrichment classes and programs for all ages; the Baldwin Public Library shares its vast multi-media collections with the community.  A host of free public concerts like the city's summer "In the Park" series, and events like First Night Birmingham, a no-alcohol family-oriented celebration of the arts on New Year's Eve, attract residents throughout the year.

City of Birmingham

Named one of the country's "Top 20 Most Walkable Communities," the City of Birmingham, Michigan covers 4.73 square miles and is home to a population of 20,103.  A close but welcoming community, the city maintains its small-town feel while offering the recreational and cultural advantages of a prosperous urban area just 30 minutes north of downtown Detroit.  Nestled amid some of the nation’s most affluent suburbs, Downtown Birmingham is a center for business, social and cultural activities.  The City has a lively, pedestrian-friendly downtown offering one of the Midwest's premiere shopping districts.  Comprised of nearly 300 retailers, the City offers a wonderfully diverse assortment of restaurants, clothing and gift stores, salons, spas, antique shops, and art galleries.  Movie theatres and a centrally located park complete the city center.

Education is highly valued in Birmingham, and a tradition of achievement and academic excellence has resulted in some of the finest schools in the country.  Students in the Birmingham Public School District routinely demonstrate educational proficiency with high scores on national and state achievement and aptitude tests.

City of Birmingham Website: http://www.bhamgov.org
City of Ritto Website: http://www.city.ritto.shiga.jp/index/menu/538