Latest Nanae gift prompts a push for proper display

In Nanae, Japan, gifts from Acton are displayed together in a glass case, carefully labeled and preserved.

Nancy McJennett, a volunteer with the Acton Nanae Network, recalls seeing the exhibit during her visit to Hokkaido in 2015. 

“It’s in their international center with everything displayed,” she said. “The gifts are identified, and you can see when each item was brought over.”

But McJennett fears Acton does not take the same care of the gifts its sister city has bestowed. 

“It’s not anyone’s fault,” she said. “I know people are busy with important things, but it’s something that tends to get overlooked.” 

This conversation was reignited at the December 23 Select Board meeting when board members voted to accept another gift from Nanae. That gift consists of two ceremonial honors awarded to the late Tom Curtin, a longtime resident who played a pivotal role in establishing the sister-city relationship between the two towns. 

“When this opportunity came up to accept these items and give them a home, we certainly wanted to make good on those wishes,” said Town Archivist Nate Smith. “The Select Board enthusiastically endorsed it, so now we get a new opportunity to think about how to display all of the gifts received.”

Town House treasures 

Acton already has a few Nanae gifts on display. 

One, a traditional Ainu robe given in 2017, hangs outside the town manager’s office. 

Network volunteer Michael Lawson said the robe was presented in celebration of the 20th anniversary of the towns’ collaboration. 

Another gift, from a private citizen of Nanae, is a statue of a bear and a fish which also calls the Town House home. 

“That one is out there with no description of why we have it,” Smith said. 

The new items given in December are two awards presented to Curtin by Japan’s emperor and its minister of foreign affairs. 

One award says, “The Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan extends his deepest regards in recognition of your distinguished service in promoting mutual understanding between Japan and the United States of America, which helps further deepen our friendly relations with many other nations.”

Those also don’t have a planned home yet. 

Smith said other smaller gifts, records, and photos lack current homes or descriptions. He hopes a centralized exhibit will highlight the significance of each item and teach visitors and residents more about the shared history of Nanae and Acton. 

‘The human connection’

McJennett also hopes exhibiting the gifts will help visitors learn. To her, the sister-city program’s existence is more than just a fun fact. 

“The human connection is very important,” she said. “You can read about cultures, you can pick a Duolingo program or whatever, but when you meet face to face and share time and space together, that’s a very different thing.”

McJennett said the gifts are a tangible representation of that connection. 

“I think the most important thing is that we support the relationship in multiple ways,” she said. “In showing respect and appreciation for physical gifts, we show respect for each other.”