On 22 Jun, the Lismore Lantern Parade was held in Lismore, New South Wales. Staff from CLAIR Sydney participated in the Lismore Lantern Parade after receiving a request of assistance from Lismore’s sister city in Japan, the City of Yamato Takada, and an invitation to the Lismore Lantern Parade from Lismore City Council.
Last year, to celebrate the 55th anniversary of the sister city relationship between Lismore and Yamato Takada, the City of Lismore especially created a lantern in the shape of Yamato Takada’s mascot character, Miku-chan. The Miku-chan lantern was paraded by the Mayor of Yamato Takada and other personnel during the Lismore Lantern Parade last year. This year, the Parade celebrated its 25th anniversary and the Miku-chan lantern was again displayed at the parade for the second year in a row. Staff from CLAIR Sydney were carrying the Miku-chan lantern with members of Lismore City Council and the Consulate-General of Japan in Sydney. It was estimated that more than 20,000 people came to see the parade, and Miku-chan was very popular amongst the visitors.
CLAIR Sydney will continue to actively support sister city exchange activities.
From the 3rd to the 13th of December, eight selected swimmers from the Fukuoka Swimming Association visited NSW, where they participated in joint training sessions with a local school and competed in the 2024-25 Speedo NSW Senior State Age Championships.
