Good Balance is the Best – Nagaizumi
Nagaizumi is an industrial town in Eastern Shizuoka Prefecture. Sitting at the base of the world famous Mount Fuji, Nagaizumi is the biggest township in Shizuoka Prefecture and has a population of approximately 43,000 people.
Nagaizumi and Whanganui, New Zealand, signed a sister city agreement in April 1988 and have continued to interact through culture and sports. The two municipalities will celebrate the 35th anniversary of their sister city affiliation next year.
Since the sister city agreement, the two municipalities have been holding student exchange visits over the years. Nagaizumi has been sending junior and senior high school students to Whanganui every year, where the students attend local schools and experience New Zealand culture, while students from Whanganui also visit Nagaizumi reciprocally.
Sister City Promotional Event Originated from the COVID Pandemic: Kia Ora Nagaizumi
With the COVID pandemic disrupting the flow of people to and from New Zealand, an event called ‘Kia Ora! Nagaizumi’ was initiated to let people in Nagaizumi learn about their sister city’s attractions. This is the third year that the Nagaizumi Town Government has organised this event, which allows their locals to experience the culture and taste the food of New Zealand while they are in Japan. For more information, you can check out the event via the QR code below.
A photo exhibition was organised in Nagaizumi with the help of a photographer who captures sceneries in New Zealand. The exhibition featured pictures drawn by kindergarten students in Nagaizumi and photos of New Zealand. The exhibition was visited by people from the town and beyond, and provided an excellent opportunity to showcase New Zealand in Japan.
Restaurants in Nagaizumi took part in the event and offered New Zealand-inspired dishes.
Online Interactions between Children
While the COVID pandemic prevented people from physically interacting with each other, the children from Whanganui and Nagaizumi connected virtually and had fun introducing themselves to each other and singing and dancing together.
Towards the Resumption of In-person Exchange after COVID
With the removal of border restrictions, the Nagaizumi Town Government is making plans to send students to Whanganui in 2023 and is looking forward to further developing the sister city exchanges in the future, with high hopes for the first in-person exchange in three years.
