I attended the National General Assembly hosted by ALGA in mid- June for the first time. It was interesting to see how the conference was run, it was very different from the conference for local governments in Japan. Many mayors, councillors and CEOs stopped by at our CLAIR booth, and we heard that they are resuming exchanges with Japanese local governments after COVID-19, or looking for a new exchange partner.
In late June I went back to Japan for the first time in a year and visited several local governments. I heard about their stories of exchange with sister cities and about new exchange partners they are considering. In addition, since April this year (the new fiscal year for Japanese local governments begins in April), many prefectures and municipalities have planned activities in Australia/New Zealand, and requests for support for their activities to our office are increasing. We believe that the change in attitude towards COVID-19 in Japan and the lifting of travel restrictions have increased exchange activities.
If you have any questions about exchanges with Japanese local governments, please do not hesitate to contact us. We look forward to supporting your exchanges between Japan and Australia/New Zealand.
