Mayor Sam Adams

Mayor Sam Adams’ last day in Japan focused on energy and design, with the goal of shaping innovative opportunities for the city and building Portland’s design portfolio.  He met with Sanyo Homes, a modular home manufacturer, to explore a potential expansion to Portland. Senior executives from Sanyo Solar, currently operating a plant in Salem, participated in the meeting to explore synergies between solar and home building technologies in the U.S. market.

The Mayor then visited Tama Art University, Japan’s leading design school.  There he met with teachers and students in the Department of Product and Textile Design. 

The school has an existing exchange program with the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, and the Mayor propsed a cooperative agreement with Portland that would serve as a step toward the goal of establishing an international design center in Portland.

His final meeting was with executives from Delta airlines, where he drove home Portland's commitment to direct flights between Portland and Japan (See: iflynonstop.com). In the evening, the Mayor hosted a dinner for leading business, government, and university contacts.