Say the word "Portsmouth" anywhere in Nichinan City and doors open. The two are sister cities because Nichinan was home to Jutaro Komura, the lead negotiator for the Japanese in Portsmouth in 1905 and a revered figure in Japan.

I learned quite a bit about Komura the man during a tour led lovingly by Takenori Okamoto: the diplomat liked eels and sake (but not necessarily at the same time). He was a long thinker. When he made up his mind, he would strike the stem of his pipe on something. The more forceful the strike, the bigger the decision. He slept with the windows open. He had two sons and a daughter.

It is these kind of details I was looking for. After years of reading very straightforward accounts of the Portsmouth Peace Treaty, I am hungry to know the people behind the politics.

Today I had the pleasure of meeting Nichinan City Mayor Yoshiyuki Taniguchi. He doesn't speak much English and I speak no Japanese, but he managed to communicate such sincere warmth that no words were really necessary. I had several gifts for him, including letters and drawings from New Hampshire schoolchildren and a proclamation from Portsmouth Mayor Steve Marchand. He was clearly touched; his mouth curved into a wide smile.

"Portsmouth is the most familiar foreign city to us," he said through translator Sumiyo Terai. "We value the tie with your city."

Mr. Taniguchi visited Portsmouth during the treaty's centennial celebration in 2005. On the wall of the Nichinan City Hall meeting room was a large photograph of Eileen Foley, who was mayor of Portsmouth in 1985, the year the sister city connection was made.

I'm glad I could help keep the sisterhood fires burning.

There is much more to tell. But the 600-mile journey back to Tokyo has worn me out and I have a very full schedule for the next three days...