One of the major events CLAIR hosts is the Local Government Exchange and Cooperation Seminar, which is an annual program to promote mutual understanding and forge an effective network between local governments in Japan and overseas.
In this seminar, CLAIR’s overseas offices invite local government officials from their respective jurisdiction areas to visit Japan to learn about the current situation and challenges that are relevant to Japan’s cities and regions.
Our next seminar will take place in Ube City, Yamaguchi Prefecture in December 2024. The theme of this seminar is “Tourism and Regional Revitalisation Efforts Utilising the UBE Biennale”.
The UBE Biennale began as the first outdoor sculpture exhibition in Ube City in 1961, initiated by a citizens’ movement to beautify the city and enrich its spiritual well-being after World War Ⅱ. It has been held every two years for over the past 60 years since then. This outdoor sculpture exhibition, where visitors can view the latest works, is expected to attract approximately 100,000 visitors from Japan and abroad. More than 200 outdoor sculptures are installed in the city, making it one of the largest collections in Japan, and visitors encounter a wide variety of art on permanent display throughout the city, including in downtown areas and parks. On 26 March 2024, UBE Biennale was recognized by the Guinness World Records™ as the longest-running outdoor sculpture competition.
For further details of the seminar, please see the link below:
https://www.jlgc.org.au/our-activities/the-local-government-exchange-cooperation-seminar/
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.
