Matsuri Japan Festival 2017

On 9 December, CLAIR Sydney participated in the Matsuri Japan Festival 2017 which was held in Tumbalong Park, Darling Harbour, Sydney. This annual event has been held since 2006 to introduce Japanese culture to locals.

This year, there were many information stalls on Japan including those run by the Consulate-General of Japan in Sydney, Japan National Tourism Organization, All Nippon Airways and Japan Airlines. Visitors enjoyed Japanese cuisine and cultural workshops teaching the art of Ikebana, calligraphy and Origami. Guests also performed live performances on the main stage which included live anime songs, group dances and taiko drum displays. During this year opening ceremony, the Matsuri Japan Festival committee also handed out letters of appreciation to all parties involved in the success of the Matsuri over the years.

Prior to the event, we advertised within Japanese local government the opportunity to participate in the festival with us. As a result, Yamanashi prefecture, Nagoya City, Kansai, Wakayama prefecture and Kagawa Prefecture Tourism Association joined us in promoting their local areas. It is our aim to provide local governments in Japan with the opportunity to promote their region in Australia. We are happy to have been able to achieve this aim during the festival and will continue to support the promotional activities of Japanese local governments in Australia.

Many people visited our booth on the day, taking home brochures and other promotional materials. Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka, the so-called “Golden route” cities and Hokkaido were very popular. However, many visitors also had high interest in other destinations, since many of them have been to Japan before and are planning their next visit. Many exhibitors restocked their brochures as most nearly ran out before the closing ceremony. We also had the opportunity to promote our sightseeing destinations up on the main stage thanks to the event administration, and we were able to introduce our recommended tourist spots and activities!

According to the event organizer, the event posted a peak of approximately 55,000 attendees and we were able to hand out more than 11,000 brochures to visitor who stopped by our stall.

Overall the event was a great success!

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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!
     
     
     
     
     
     
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  • 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.

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  • The latest issue of our correspondence is released.

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