On 18 August, CLAIR attended the official reception of the 25th Kawasaki Junior Cultural Prize Presentation in Wollongong. Four students of age 10-12 from Kawasaki were chosen as recipients of the award based on their outstanding art and essay submissions. The prize, sponsored by Kawasaki Shinkin Bank, is the opportunity for select students in Japan to visit Wollongong, which is a sister city of Kawasaki. During the presentation ceremony, the prize winners handed their works over to the Lord Mayor of Wollongong to be displayed in the Wollongong Council offices.
During the reception, the Consul General of Japan in Sydney, Mr Takaoka, gave a speech and the Mayor of Kawasaki addressed the reception via video message to congratulate the students and say thank you to Wollongong for its ongoing support. Some students learning Japanese in Wollongong also gave speeches in Japanese during the ceremony.
Kawasaki Shinkin Bank has sent over 100 children to Wollongong as Child Friendship Ambassadors over the past 25 years. We hope this program continues to strengthen the friendly ties between Wollongong and Kawasaki into the future.
