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Painting the Torii Gate in Celebration of Oakland’s Sister City Relationship with Fukuoka, Japan

 Painting the Torii Gate in Celebration of Oakland’s Sister City Relationship with Fukuoka, Japan

First, a quick history lesson…

In 1956, President Eisenhower established the People-to-People Program, believing that long-term peace was better achieved and preserved by connecting citizens, not just governments and officials. He envisioned people corresponding with each other, finding common ground, and fostering unity, beginning with one city being united with a “sister city” from another country, based on foundational similarities.

In 1962, Oakland California was officially paired with Fukuoka, Japan.

Fast forward a bit to 1969, and Oakland was given the original Torii Gate as a gift from Fukuoka in celebration of their seventh anniversary of connection.

Unfortunately, as the years marched on the gate fell into disrepair. That is, until 2002 when a highly-skilled Japanese craftsman rebuilt the gate, which was then unveiled with the help of a 65-person delegation from Japan.

And that brings us to today. 2022 marks the 60th anniversary of our “sister city” pairing, and the Oakland-Fukuoka Sister City Association is planning a major celebration.

Repainting the Torii Gate in Oakland

Looking back on all this rich history, it’s amazing to see how MB Jessee Painting clicks into the narrative in this new chapter. When we heard about the upcoming celebration, and also that the gate was in need of a fresh coat of paint, we quickly offered to donate our skill and services. What an incredible opportunity! And what an honor to help care for such a significant landmark, built with skill and gifted to our city.

Here are a few photos of our team at work on the transformation, and a photo from a Piedmont Post story written about the gate and our involvement.

 Painting the Torii Gate in Celebration of Oakland’s Sister City Relationship with Fukuoka, Japan
 Painting the Torii Gate in Celebration of Oakland’s Sister City Relationship with Fukuoka, Japan
 Painting the Torii Gate in Celebration of Oakland’s Sister City Relationship with Fukuoka, Japan

Would you like to learn more about the Torii Gate and our Sister City?

Start here, at the Oakland-Fukuoka Sister City Association. You may also want to take a look at their Facebook page for current events and updates.

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“The completed 'Client Satisfaction Survey' we sent in only modestly reflects our total satisfaction with the work. As a retired small business owner, I compliment you on setting 'best practices' that are consistently followed. Everything described in your marketing materials was a reality! The crew is a super bowl team and our neighbors commented on how quiet they were. We are very happy to be a client of MB Jessee.”

— Richard
Orinda

“Everyone I dealt with was nice, helpful, and very professional. The price was reasonable! (I didn't feel like I was getting the "San Francisco price." The attention to detail and work quality was excellent. They did what they said they would do in the exact timeframe they said they would do. Highly recommend!”

— Tim Tyson

“It was a great experience working with MB Jessee. The crew was careful and thorough as they painted the house, sealed stucco cracks, repaired dry-rotted wood, stained the deck, etc. Robert, Gersson, Jose, and all of the people involved in the process from the estimate to the job completion were friendly and professional.”

— Mike C.
Livermore, CA

“Edy and crew are hard at work. They are doing a great job. Very professional outfit you have. Your crew is a delight. You may use me for a reference!”

— Heidi B
Walnut Creek

“I highly recommend MB Jesse Painting to anyone looking for a professional team that does an impressive job. They are on time, efficient and clean up well each and every day they are on site. They pay attention to detail and listen to the needs of their clients. In addition, they give back to the community. A Five Star team all the way around.”

— Erin Troy

“Thank you for the support you have given the Women's Cancer Resource Center over the past year!”

— Margo - Director Women's Cancer Resource Center

“Dear Matt,You must be so proud of your men! They were fantastic to have around. Polite, courteous and hardworking. I am so pleased with the outcome of our home--in fact, I couldn't be any more pleased than I am!”

— Mrs. S
San Leandro

“In September, MBJessee finished painting two sides of our 3-story condominium building (six owners). We were impressed by the professionalism of the company and every one of its workers, Matt Jessee couldn't have been more helpful in planning the project. His painters were well-trained, easy to communicate with and eager to please. In addition to painting the stucco, they made extensive repairs on windows and frames, which will save us considerable money in the future. They finished earlier than anticipated, with as many as five men working on the job, and the scaffolding came down the next day. All of us were delighted with the results. Now my husband and I are looking forward to having MB Jessee paint our own apartment later this month. Matt and Gustavo (who will be our crew leader again) have explained how they will work to make the painting proceed smoothly while we're living here, and they have been endlessly patient with our protracted decision-making process. If you look at their website, you'll learn that MB Jessee is an exemplary company that takes good care of its workers as well as its customers, and contributes public service projects to the community. All in all, we can't recommend MB Jessee highly enough.”

— Jayne W.
San Francisco, CA

“Just wanted to let you know that the crew was great to have around the house for the past two weeks. All three of them were professional, courteous, and attentive to my thoughts/concerns and were extremely knowledgeable. They paid great attention to the detail and it shows.”

— Mark & Roberta Gross

“Matt, Julie & Ricardo, I just wanted to take this opportunity to thank the three of you for the wonderful job you did in hosting the SFBA NARI Chapter Meeting on Wednesday evening. Everything was perfect from beginning to end. Members and guests alike walked away with a truly positive experience. The "painter for a day" and the cookies in the paint cans were an absolute brilliant touch and received rave reviews. What a wonderful way to do such positive marketing. Thanks again for a truly memorable experience for our members and guests. You are valued as a NARI member.”

— Judy Tufo, SFBA NARI Executive Director

“I want to express my thanks for a job well done. The rooms look great and there is no problem with any marks on the all the trim, floor, carpet, etc. The paint job is lovely. I also want to express my thanks for the level of professionalism the foreman showed in running the job. He was very attentive to any changes I needed to make, was extremely careful in getting the faux paint color and effect correct. Thanks so much for a job well done.”

— Suzan D’Arcy

“MB Jessee just finished our exterior and we couldn't be happier with our experience. The foreman (Pedro) and lead painter (Ricardo) were incredible to work with: they communicated scheduling clearly, Ricardo was a joy to be around every day, the showed up early every day, were incredibly tidy and did great paint work. The final walkthrough experience was incredible. Pedro pointed out items I missed demonstrating a clear desire to complete another quality project. I highly recommend them. As others have noted they definitely aren't the cheapest but you quickly realize that you're getting what you pay for. The 3-year guarantee is also a nice touch since there are likely touch-up items that will show up after the job is done.”

— Joshua J.
Oakland, CA