Japanese official visits Youngstown

Staff report

YOUNGSTOWN

A visiting Japanese official is visiting Youngstown, Cleveland and Pittsburgh as part of a tour of the region.

Arika Aizawa of the city of Kitaibaraki was in town Tuesday along with Dr. Seth Benjamin of the Japan Local Government Center of New York.

She was a guest of Mayor Jamael Tito Brown and will be visiting business parks and brownfield development sites during her stay in the city.

Aizawa also is visiting Cleveland and Pittsburgh during a three-day visit to the area.

In Youngstown, she met with the mayor as well as the city’s Community Planning and Economic Development Department, where the topics of discussion included population loss, revitalization plans and economic development.

A news release said Aizawa has more meetings planned with the Youngstown Business Incubator and the Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corp.

Her tour of the business parks and brownfield sites will be coordinated by the city’s Planning and Economic Development department, the release said.