In 1938 Franklin College graduate Thomasine Allen made her way to Kuji, a small town in the Iwate Prefecture in Japan. The Christian missionary would stay there for the rest of her life, establishing the ties that bind Kuji and Franklin. Frank Records and Gyobun Yamauchi, mayors of Franklin and Kuji respectively, in 1960 established a sister city bond that survives to this day.
This sisterly bond is the focus of “Bound by Friendship: The Sister Cities of Kuji and Franklin.” Learn how Franklin and Kuji became entwined and how the relationship has benefited Franklin. The exhibit also showcases Japanese culture through artifacts and images. “Bound by Friendship” is on display through autumn at Johnson County Museum. Information: johnsoncountymuseum. org.
by Jenny Elig
