Mark Herz: Boston has 11 sister cities located all around the world — the very first partnership beginning in 1959 with Kyoto, Japan. We'll be taking a look at this ongoing relationship with Japan's cultural heart through a gift that Kyoto sent to Boston back in 1979: a traditional 19th century house, located at the Boston Children's Museum. Here to discuss that and more is Akemi Chayama, an educator and Japan program manager at the Boston Children's Museum.

So to start us off, give us a little history lesson on sister cities and how Boston and Kyoto became partnered together.

Akemi Chayama: Boston and Kyoto became sister cities in 1959 and this year is the 66th anniversary. So it has a long history. But in the beginning, the Kyoto mayor met the Boston mayor and both they found a common ground and became sister cities. Not many people know, but Kyoto gave a tea house to Boston in the beginning and that tea house was placed in the museum in the Jamaica Plain location, and that was actually beginning of the relationship. So before the Japanese house we have in the Boston Children's Museum today in the Seaport District, we even had a tea house.

Herz: This must have been a big production to take this historical building, take it apart, ship it all the way over here and have it reconstructed. Did members of that family come and put it back together here?

Chayama: The house that we have in this museum today, this house was disassembled and placed in 43 crates, put in a big, huge container ship all the way to Seattle and from Seattle, a train ride to Boston. Carpenters from Kyoto came here to put this house back together inside the museum.

Herz: And what is it like for kids and their families to experience this house? What does it represent?

Chayama: The Boston Children's Museum fundamentally is about people. So this authentic Japanese house, it's not only architecturally beautiful, but also filled with fascinating stories. At the same time, we work hard to make sure that house is the place to bring people together still today, not just an object, but a place of people gathering. So with that, we invite young people, but also a lot of people from Kyoto still come today. Two years ago, the skilled tatami artisans, Umeda-san and Tanaka-san from Kyoto came to fix the tatami floor mat. Last summer, artisans known as Hyogushi, Nakajima-san, and Maruyama-san came here to fix all the paper doors. They are all from Kyoto. Then this week, 25 kids from Kyoto came and they brought handmade games and activities to play with Boston kids at the museum.

Herz: Wow, so 66 years and the relationship is still going on. What has Boston given to Kyoto and what connections have people from Boston made in Kyoto?

Chayama: One of the significant things that the Boston city did was give a historical street lamp from the Beacon Hill and that's standing in front of the city hall today in Kyoto. I want to also point out too that people come here from Kyoto and they fell in love with the city. So when they go back to Kyoto, they became sort of like an unofficial ambassador to the city.

Herz: What do people love about Boston, who are from Kyoto?

Chayama: There are many things, of course both are historically important cities and cultural education centers. There are many green spaces that they are proud of in both cities, even the city urban setting. And then other things like the toughness in the core that both Kyoto people and Boston people communities have, sometimes very stubborn, but in some good ways. Those are things that attract the Kyoto people when they come to Boston.

Boston has 11 sister cities around the world. GBH’s Morning Edition host Mark Herz will be taking a look at each of these relationships, starting with the first partnership: Kyoto, Japan’s cultural heart. A major symbol of the partnership between the two cities is a gift that Kyoto sent to Boston back in 1979: a traditional 19th century house, located at the Boston Children’s Museum.

Akemi Chayama, the Japan program educator at the Boston Children’s Museum, said the museum’s current house is actually the second building sent to Boston from Kyoto, with the first being a now-demolished tea house presented in 1959. The extant building was later sent to honor the 20-year anniversary of the relationship.

“This house was disassembled and placed in 43 crates, put in a big, huge container ship all the way to Seattle and from Seattle, a train ride to Boston,” Chayama said. “Carpenters from Kyoto came here to put this house back together inside the museum.”

The Japanese House has served as an important method for the city to maintain its ties with Kyoto. After the construction by the original builders, more Kyoto-based artisans have visited the museum to maintain traditional Japanese aspects of the house.

“Two years ago, the skilled tatami artisans, Umeda-san and Tanaka-san from Kyoto came to fix the tatami floor mat,” Chayama said “Last summer, artisans known as Hyogushi, Nakajima-san, and Maruyama-san came here to fix all the paper doors.”

Most importantly, the house allows educators to teach museum visitors about Japanese culture, using artifacts and stories about the houses’ original inhabitants to illustrate what 19th century life in Japan was like. The house also serves as a gathering space where cultural exchanges take place, including one this summer.

“25 kids from Kyoto came and they brought handmade games and activities to play with Boston kids at the museum” Chayama said. “We work hard to make sure that house is the place to bring people together still today, not just an object, but a place of people gathering.”

On the other side the Pacific, Kyoto residents can also find a little bit of Boston in their city. In 1969, the City of Boston sent Kyoto a street lamp from Beacon Hill, which currently sits in front of the Kyoto City Hall.

Chayama pointed out that beyond their strong partnership and gift exchanges, there is a lot linking Boston and Kyoto culturally.

“Both are historically important cities and cultural education centers,” she said “There are many green spaces that they are proud of in both cities, even the city urban setting. And then other things like the toughness in the core that both Kyoto people and Boston people communities have, sometimes very stubborn, but in some good ways.”