Grass Roots Student Exchange (Hurstville-Shiroishi, Manly-Odawara)

There are many annual student exchange programs run by Australian and Japanese municipalities. Students from Japan typically visit Australia during their month long summer holiday, which starts in late July. During their visit they stay with host families and attend local high schools where they make Australian friends. In doing so they also introduce Japanese culture to their newly made friends, which is a great opportunity for cultural exchange to take place.

1. Sister City Exchange between Hurstville City, NSW and Shiroishi City, Miyagi (25 – 30 July)

On 29 July a reception was held by the Hurstville City Council as part of the Sister City exchange program, where children from both cities had a great time together. Guests from Hurstville included the Mayor, Council Executives, those involved in the SisterCity program and the host families. Representing Shiroishi City were ten junior high school students and two teachers.

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Gifts were given to Shiroishi students from the City of Hurstville. The Japanese visitors sang Japanese folk songs and some anime songs, as well as introducing their hosts to Japanese cultural items such as Kendama (a traditional toy with a cup and a ball), Koma (a spinning top) and Origami. The Mayor of Hurstville played Kendama with the students and let the local children join in the fun. The children from both cities were really happy to spend such a memorable time together. CLAIR Sydney was also invited to this reception and just like the Mayor, also had the opportunity to spend time with the children and experience the exchange at first hand.

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Hurstville City and Shiroishi City are planning exchange activities for the upcoming 20th anniversary of their relationship, which will be celebrated this September. During these events CLAIR Sydney will support both cities.

2. Friendship City Exchange between Manly, NSW and Odawara, Kanagawa (26 July – 5 August)

A visit to Manly Council and exchange events were held for Japanese students by Manly on 30 July. As friendship cities Manly and Odawara engage in exchange activities every year, one form of it being student exchange. Odawara sends as many as 40 students to Manly as part of its ‘Tokimeki International School program’ and keeps the exchange alive. This year, 15 students visited Manly. At the beginning of the exchange event each student received a Certificate of Attendance from Deputy Mayor Alan Le Surf. After exchanging gifts, the students were then placed into four groups and visited Manly Council facilities and other places of interest, where they learned about the work of Manly Council and the environmental issues they face. CLAIR Sydney also attended this visit and assisted the students by translating the explanations given by Manly Council staff and teaching the students about the Australian political system.

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3. Issues of Sister City Exchanges going forward

By partaking in these two events, we have noticed one thing, there are key persons at both ends who support the exchanges. The councils cannot keep the exchanges alive alone as these active exchanges can only be maintained through the efforts of dedicated people on both sides. We were told that every year there are volunteers who help assist the exchange event and it is through this support that Hurstville and Shiroishi can continue their exchange. The same applies to Manly and Odawara, as many people support the Tokimeki International School program and many local volunteers are involved in the Manly Sister Cities Committee. As you can see, these people’s grass roots activities form the powerhouse that propels the sister city relationships forward.

Time can be unkind however, as the driving force behind these international exchange is ageing. Given their importance, these discrete yet crucial roles will need to be reassigned in the near future so that these exchange relations stay strong. Having spoken to volunteers at both events, we can affirm that they wish for people who took part in the exchange during their youth to take over these roles.

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  • 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.

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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.
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  • The latest issue of our correspondence is released.

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  • The latest issue of our correspondence is released.

    View this Correspondence in PDF.

  • The latest issue of our correspondence is released.

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