Olympia is 60 miles south of Seattle and 40 miles south of Tacoma, located at the head of Budd Inlet, in the northern part of Thurston County.  Olympia covers an area equivalent to 18.1 square miles and the U.S. Census places the current population at 43,000.  The climate of the Olympia area is characterized by warm, generally dry summers and wet, mild winters.

 

Olympia received its name in the spring of 1850 in reference to the beautiful snowcapped Olympic Mountains that form the northward view.  In 1853, when the Washington Territory was created, Olympia was named the Territorial Capital by Congress.  Today, Olympia is the capital city of the State of Washington.

Kato lies about 18 miles (30 km) northwest of Kobe, capital of Hyogo Prefecture.  It comprises 157.49 square kilometers in south central Hyogo Prefecture.  Kato is located near the cities of Osaka, Kobe, and Himeji.  The original Town of Yashiro began as a medieval temple at the southern foot of the Chugoku Mountains.  The long history of Kato is reflected in its many cultural treasures, temples, and shrines.  Today it has become a local center, socially, politically, and economically with nearly 23,000 people.

 

In 1980, the National Government completed the Hyogo College of Education in then Yashiro.  The once tiny temple town now has become a sizable college town representing the educational activities of the entire prefecture.  Also, part of a Prefectural Natural Park is located in Kato, which draws excursionists and weekenders during all seasons of the year.

 

Kato is basically an agricultural community, engaging in modern truck farming with strong advantage due to its nearness to the Kobe-Osaka areas.  Further, with its favorable location along the Trans-West Japan Express Way, modern industrial manufacturing is taking place there as well.