Maui County yesterday welcomed a 45-member "sister city" delegation from Fukuyama City, Japan, led by Mayor Akira Hada.

The group will tour local farms, visit with senior citizens, and host a tea ceremony during their visit. They will meet tomorrow with Maui Mayor Charmaine Tavares for a special rose-planting ceremony and mayor's reception at the County Building. The 10 a.m. reception will feature shave ice, lei-making demonstrations, hula, entertainment and local items for sale.

The rose-planting ceremony at the Peace Pole is in honor of Fukuyama City, which is located in Hiroshima Prefecture and is known as the Rose City. A thousand rose seedlings were planted to boost the spirits of residents after the city was destroyed by an air attack in 1945. The resulting blooms transformed the urban landscape and are now the focal point of the city's annual "Rose Festival" each May.

The Fukuyama visitors will also participate in the Maui County Fair by dancing hula in the parade and hosting a Fukuyama Chamber of Commerce booth in the Better Living tent with food and other products.

Fukuyama, the second largest city in Hiroshima Prefecture with a population of 426,795, became a sister city of Maui County of Feb. 11. Maui is Fukuyama's first American sister city.