Blog Archives

Participation in the National Symposium on Japanese Language Education (15-16 Nov)

The National Symposium on Japanese Language Education was held in Sydney from 15 to 16 November 2024. This nationwide symposium, co-hosted by the Japan Foundat

New South Wales Local Government Association (LGNSW) 2024 Annual Meeting (17-19 Nov)

The LGNSW 2024 Annual Conference was held in Tamworth from 17 to 19 November, with around 800 participants, including local government leaders and councillors

Attendance at Taituarā Annual Conference 2024 (11-13 Sep)

The Taituarā Annual Conference 2024 was held from 11 to 13 September in Auckland and was attended by local government officials from all around New Zealand.
 
Unde

Participating in the Cowra Breakout 80th Anniversary/Support Activities for Fukuoka Prefecture and Joetsu City in Niigata Prefecture

From August 4 to 5, CLAIR Sydney participated in the commemorations for the 80th Anniversary of the Cowra Breakout. During World War II, Cowra was the site of a pri

Researching Trends of Local Authorities and Strengthening Networks at the Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ) Conference (21-23 Aug)

The Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ) 2024 Annual Conference, where mayors and councillors gathered, was held in Wellington, New Zealand (NZ), from 21 to 23 A

Our Visit to Burwood Council (27 Aug)

On 27 August, we visited Burwood Council following a kind invitation to learn about their operations. The General Manager and Directors from all departments pr

Australian Local Government Association 2024 National General Assembly (Canberra)(2-5 July)

From 2 to 5 July, the Australian Local Government Association (ALGA) held its National General Assembly (NGA) in Canberra, the capital of Australia. Over 1,000

Australia-Japan Society of NSW University Awards 2024(14 May)

The Australia-Japan Society of NSW (AJS-NSW) hosted the University Awards Night at The Japan Foundation, Sydney, on Tuesday, 14 May.
University students stud

Cowra Kōyō Matsuri Oration and Mayoral Reception (3-4 May)

The “Cowra Kōyō MATSURI (Autumn Leaves Festival)” was held on 3 and 4 May in the city of Cowra, located in the interior of New South Wales, Australia a

The Emperor of Japan’s Birthday Reception in New Zealand(5 Mar)

On 5th March, a reception celebrating the birthday of His Majesty the Emperor of Japan was held by the Ambassador of Japan to New Zealand. The ceremony was attende

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  • The latest issue of our correspondence is released.

    View this Correspondence in PDF.

  • 2023/2024 CLAIR Forum 

    Theme: Disaster Management and Resilience

    Disaster Management is essential for local governments as it helps save lives, protect properties, build resilience, and ensure the overall well-being and stability of communities in the face of disasters such as natural disasters and epidemic outbreaks. And it has become more important than ever in recent years. In the 2024 CLAIR Forum, presented by CLAIR Sydney and UTS, we  explored the practices of prevention, response, and recovery to disasters in local governments in Australia and Japan. We also reflected on new ways of thinking about and building resilient communities, built and natural environments, economies and governments. 

    Date:  11 March,2024 (Monday)
    Time: 1:00pm to 5:00pm 
    Venue: The Japan Foundation, Sydney – Seminar Room (Hybrid)

    Speakers

    – Tomoyuki Takemura (Assistant Director, CLAIR Sydney / Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications)

    Provided an overview of recent disaster occurrences in Japan such as the Noto Peninsula Earthquake, the role of administrative organisations (national, prefectural, and municipal) during disasters, and the updated information on the status of the support system established by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications.

    – Reiko Kunisaki (Assistant Director, CLAIR Sydney / Fukuoka Prefectural Government)

    Described the recent heavy rain disasters in Fukuoka, efforts in supporting evacuees requiring assistance (including training on municipal guidance, operation of evacuation centres, and creation of individual evacuation plans) in collaboration with local governments and partners.

    – Kana Tsujiwaki (Assistant Director, CLAIR Sydney / Wakayama Prefectural Government)

    Touched upon the anecdote of Goryo Hamaguchi, a native of Wakayama, which led to the establishment of “World Tsunami Day.” Also explained distinctive disaster countermeasures in Wakayama, such as setting safety levels for evacuation destinations, the “Dokodemo Stand” mobile gas station, and mobile disaster prevention education.

    – Nicole Parsons (Manager Regional Resilience Programs, Illawarra Shoalhaven Joint Organisation)

    The presentation highlighted collaborative efforts with local governments and partners in the Illawarra Shoalhaven region to reduce disaster risks, including enhancing infrastructure resilience, improving access to geographic data, and developing environmental monitoring and early warning systems.

    – Shinnosuke Matsumoto (Assistant Director, CLAIR Sydney / Ichihara city council)

    Discussed disaster response in his city, the response system during disasters, types and conditions for opening evacuation centres, and examples of efforts in adapting to changes in operating the centres during the COVID-19 pandemic.

    – Hideaki Ota(Assistant Director, CLAIR Sydney / Odawara city council)

    Provided an overview of medical services during disasters in Japan, focusing on the Disaster Medical Assistance Team (DMAT), including the outline, process, and roles of the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, and disaster base hospitals. Presented examples, including Odawara City Hospital’s dispatch of DMAT to the Noto Peninsula Earthquake.

    – Tommaso Briscese (General Manager, Burwood Council) & Miriam Wassef(Executive Manager, Place Management and Communications Burwood Council)

    Presented Burwood Council’s response to and recovery efforts for COVID-19, including care for the community, financial support for small and medium-sized enterprises for economic recovery, and events to promote human interaction that were reduced following the outbreak.

     

    The Q&A session allowed for exchanges of many questions and opinions among participants. Carol Mills concluded the forum, reflecting on the discussions.

  • The latest issue of our correspondence is released.

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  • 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.

    During the joint training, the athletes deepened their connections, and in the competition, the Fukuoka swimmers achieved remarkable success, earning numerous medals.
     
    The visit is based on the Memorandum of Understanding signed in December 2023 between the Fukuoka Prefecture, the Fukuoka Swimming Association, and Swimming NSW. CLAIR Sydney received a request from Fukuoka Prefecture to assist them with their activities and accompanied them during some parts of their visit.
     
    We will continue to support and deepen exchanges in the field of sports between Fukuoka Prefecture and NSW.
    To all the athletes, coaches, and accompanying staffs, Otsukaresamadeshita!
     
     
     
     
     
     
  • The latest issue of our correspondence is released.
    View this Correspondence in PDF.

     

     

  • The latest issue of our correspondence is released.

    View this correspondence in PDF.

     

  • The latest issue of our correspondence is released.

    View this Correspondence in PDF.

  • The latest issue of our correspondence is released.

    View this Correspondence in PDF.

  • The latest issue of our correspondence is released.

    View this Correspondence in PDF.

  • The latest issue of our correspondence is released.

    View this Correspondence in PDF.