Fort Bragg Otsuchi
Cultural Exchange Association

Ken Sasaki was a boy in Otsuchi, and his father, a fisherman, was lost at sea. Ken-san would sit on the bluffs overlooking the ocean, ever in search of any sign of his father. When he became older, he wondered what was on the other side of the ocean - wondering who lived over there and what were they like? He drew a line across the Pacific Ocean and found Fort Bragg on the exact same latitude. In 2001, he made contact and invited then Mayor of Fort Bragg, Lindy Peters, to come visit Otsuchi. Knowing that Otsuchi’s local economy was based on commercial fishing, Mayor Peters invited a friend and local owner of Caito Fisheries to join him. The student cultural exchange program was founded in 2001. 

In September of 2002, the first student exchange of Fort Bragg students went to Otsuchi. The program fosters the connection between our cultures, the opportunities for learning language, development of friendships, teamwork and lifestyles.  The exchanges continued every two years until the Great Japan earthquake and tsunami occurred on March 11, 2011. The town of Otsuchi was devastated by a 9.0 magnitude earthquake and tsunami. About 10% of the town's total population of 16,000 were confirmed dead or missing. Members of the Fort Bragg Otsuchi Cultural Exchange Association (FBOCEA) mobilized to create an Otsuchi Relief Fund. The entire community rallied to raise funds to help the families in Otsuchi who lost their homes, businesses and their families. The student exchange program gained new momentum in 2016 until the world faced the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

Student exchange started up again in 2024 when Otsuchi students visited Fort Bragg in March, followed by Fort Bragg students' visit to Otsuchi in September.  The next exchange is scheduled for 2026, with Otsuchi students again visiting in March and Fort Bragg students traveling in September.