The City of Manitowoc received a "maiwai tairyoki" as a gift from Sister City Kamogawa, Japan in commemoration of the historic dedication of Manitowoc'c New City Hall on July 11, 2001. The "maiwai tairyoki" is on display in the main foyer of City Hall on July 11, 2001.

This "maiwai tairyoki" is a work that was dyed by an artisan living in Kamogawa who dyes in the maiwai tradition, an art recognized and promoted by Chiba prefecture for its rich tradition. This tapestry is decorated with turtles and cranes, traditional Japanese lucky symbols.

The work is decorated with a maiwai half coat, worn by fisherman in the festivities surrounding a large fish catch or launching a new boat.

Between the Manitowoc City symbol ant the Kamogawa City symbol, there is a picture known as the "hinode no ni tsuru." Directly translated, this is a crane flying in front of the sunrise, an important symbol for new beginnings in Japanese culture.

Towards the bottom of the picture, there is a picture known in Japanese as "nami ni tsurukane to taihai." This depicts a taihai (cup for Japanese sake used in ceremonies) containing treasures, turtle, and crane riding on the waves, a popular design in maiwai works.

Although it is not certain exactly where the word "maiwai" came from, it is thought that it was derived from a word meaning ten thousand fish. Traditionally when fisherman brought in a large catch of fish, ship owners awarded them a maiwai towel. When fishermen bring in an especially large catch of fish, ship owners awarded them maiwai coats to be worn in the festivities celebrating the large catch.

The "tairyoki" was originally a flag flown to indicate a large catch. When this flag is flown, news of the large catch spreads quickly through the fishing community, notifying them to prepare for festivities. Nowadays, tairyoki are also flown when new ships are launched.