About our sister city Monterey｜Bay Area Nanao Guide

Bay Area Nanao topAbout our sister city Monterey

Exchange between Nanao and Monterey began 23 years ago in 1986 when a citizen’s group of young economists who were considering ways of revitalizing the area visited the West Coast of America on an inspection tour (information about which is available in Japanese in a previously published article called “The men who made a dream come true”).

After the visit, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Nanao City through the activities of 11 groups in the city such as the Rotary Club started up the Nanao and Monterey Friendship Association which has continued to this day and has enabled more than 400 locals to travel to America and form personal contacts and connections on a grass root level.

Among these exchanges, the inception of ‘The Monterey Jazz Festival in Noto’ held every year in Wakura Onsen has brought to Nanao the prestige of being the only place in the world allowed to host the famous event using its original name. The inaugural festival was in 1995 and it has continued to be held ever summer bringing further popularity and recognition to the area with every passing year.

The Monterey Jazz Festival in Noto

About the City of Monterey

Monterey is located on the West Coast of America between San Francisco and Los Angeles. It is a seaport abundant in nature with a population of about 30,000.

The main industry is at present tourism and it has a low crime rate and excellent schools at all levels.
It has plenty to enjoy with some of the leading golf courses in the world, the Old Fisherman’s Wharf, fishing and diving.

Novelists and photographers such as Weston and many other artists have been attracted by the natural beauty of the area and made it their home. The Nobel laureate John Steinbeck made Monterey the setting for a number of his books and the city became famous as the stage for the film ‘East of Eden’.

: Friendship Exchange through the Chamber of Commerce and Industry
: The Monterey City Emblem
: Noto Photographic Exhibition

Tourist Data

The Monterey Jazz Festival： The Monterey Jazz Festival in which over 500 of the top jazz musicians in the world perform in more than 50 concerts is held every year in September.
Natural Points of Interest ： It is a natural habitat for the rare sea otter and it is also possible to go whale-watching.

大きな地図で見る

Carmel Beach
Old Fisherman’s Wharf
Monterey Bay

Monterey Bay Aquarium ： the world’s first indoor aquarium
Golf Courses ： It’s an area where some of the best golf clubs in America such as Pebble Beach, Spanish Bay, Poppy Hills Cypress Point, Monterey Peninsula Country Club are concentrated.

Pebble Beach Golf Linx
Symbol Sculpture
Golf Shopping Mall

Big Sur

Driving ：
- Big Sur／It is a 144km drive from Carmel in the north to San Simeon in the south where the rugged rocks produce a breathtakingly beautiful coastline. The spectacular scenic beauty of Big Sur is known throughout the world.
- River Road／U.S. Highway 101 runs more or less through the center of River Road Monterey County. To its west, there is a good driving route along the Salinas River where you can enjoy the inland agricultural landscape.

Also there is the Yosemite National Park which is a World Heritage Site and the Sierra Nevada Mountain range both of which are possible to visit in a day from Monterey. It is also possible to enjoy fishing, surfing, hang gliding and parasailing.