~ Article and photos from Geraldine O’Connor, Senior Programs Officer, Centre for Local Government (CLG) and Australian Centre of Excellence for Local Government (ACELG) ~
The 2015 Local Government Exchange and Co-operation Seminar participants traveled to Japan in November to visit Tokyo and Yamato Takada City in the Nara Prefecture.
The themes of the 2015 exchange were:
- sister city relations and their impacts
- protection of cultural properties
The team
The 2015 participants included Ian Abbott Mayor, City of Palmerston Northern Territory, Logan Howlett, Mayor City of Cockburn Western Australia, Neil Marks, Councillor Lismore City Council (sister city of Yamato Takada City), Matt O’Mara, Chief Executive Officer Stratford Council New Zealand, Kimberley Wu, Global Partnership and Strategy Advisor from Auckland Council and Geraldine O’Connor Senior Programs Officer Centre for Local Government (CLG) and Australian Centre of Excellence for Local Government (ACELG), team leader.
Seminar participants with the Governor of Nara Prefecture and Mayor of Yamato Takada City. Left to right Kimberley Wu, Matt O’Mara, Mayor, Governor, Geraldine O’Connor, Neil Marks, Ian Abbott and Logan Howlett
What we experienced
A broad itinerary was prepared by CLAIR Tokyo office staff and Yamato Takada City officials which included inspections of:
- Tokyo Imperial Palace
- The Japan Foundation
- Edo Tokyo Museum
- Todaiji Temple
- Senryuji Temple tea ceremony
- Takada Catholic Kindergarten
- Ukiana Elementary School
- Garden of Lismore
- Asuka Village
- Umenoyado Brewery
as well as a Washi Paper Making Workshop and a concert by Isebella Acappella from Lismore. The team also had courtesy visits to the Governor of Nara Prefecture and the Mayor of Yamato Takada City, attended a welcome dinner hosted by Yamato Takada City and a enjoyed a weekend home stay with a host family.
Matt O’Mara with host family
Attendees at city welcome dinner
What we shared:
Sister city relations and their impacts
The seminar participants shared the value and impacts of Yamato Takada City’s sister city relationship with Lismore City Council, Australia, through a briefing by City officials. A visit was made to the pre-school established by Father Glynn from Lismore, which started the sister city relationship over 52 years ago.
We also met with the Sister City Friendship group and shared ideas for extending the impacts of the Sister City relationship and heard about the benefits of the educational approach for students taken by Yamato Takada City. Lismore Council is seeking to strengthen the cultural experience for students visiting Lismore.
The City of Cockburn keeps sister city relations visible by displaying public art created by its sister cities.
The city also has a Peace Park in memory of Hiroshima.
ACELG has just completed a report ‘Sister Cities and International Alliances’ researching types of international relations and the value of these relations. A copy of the report can be accessed at
http://www.acelg.org.au/publications
Auckland Council has been looking at ways to develop and manage its 19 international partnerships, some with stronger cultural focus and others with increased emphasis on business and economic outcomes. One such initiative is a new tripartite economic alliance that Auckland established with its two sister cities Guangzhou (China) and Los Angeles (the US) in 2014.
Protection of cultural properties
Australia has thousands of years of indigenous heritage. The aborigines have ‘a relationship to the land’ that Europeans do not see. The camp sites are reminders of the nomadic life of the Australian aborigines. These sites are identified through mapping and preserved by keeping the locations secret. The maps are developed and maintained by the State Government Office of Environment and Heritage. Information about this cultural heritage can be found at: http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/nswcultureheritage/AboriginalPeopleAndCulturalLife.htm
And in New Zealand, laws protect the sacred sites of the Maori People and public records and artifacts are maintained. Auckland Council has a proposed Unitary Plan that protects the city’s natural and built environment, and established a Heritage Advisory Panel which includes experts, community and land owners.
More information about how Auckland protects its heritage can be found here:
http://www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/EN/newseventsculture/heritage/Pages/home.aspx
Parts of Australian and New Zealand cities are rich with the remains of over 200 years of European Heritage. The preservation and ways of presenting cultural artifacts has improved over the years. Sometimes cultural artifacts are left in the ground and become a feature in new building design.
What we learnt
The seminar participants learnt about Japanese culture and Japan’s determination to expand knowledge of this history and the thousands of years of stories.
We learnt that sister city relations ‘must always improve’ and we should return to our countries ‘with a greater understanding of the possibilities’. Through what we saw and experienced in Yamato Takada City, we observed the passion that has driven the city in its work on the sister city relationship and the protection of cultural properties. These are the unique points of difference about the city, not only in Japan, but in the world.
Seminar participants at Asuka Village with school students
Put your hand up
Yamato Takada City raised its hand to host the 2015 Local Government Exchange and Cooperation Seminar. It was a privilege to visit this City and experience the roots of Japanese history.
The 2015 seminar participants have benefitted from the opportunity to explore Japanese history and experience Japanese culture. CLAIR and Yamato Takada City staff created an enriching experience and provided seminar participants with ‘the opportunity to see through others eyes’ by meeting the local people. Australia and New Zealand are closer to Japan as a result of our participation in the 2015 Local Government Exchange and Co-operation Seminar.
Seminar participants at Todaiji Temple with Mayor