On August 11, CLAIR Sydney was pleased to attend the South West Festival of Japan for the first time, held in Bunbury, Western Australia. The event was a huge success with approximately 900 people in attendance, and CLAIR Sydney distributed promotional material pertaining to the sister city relationship between Bunbury and Setagaya Ward in Tokyo, and other related municipalities. Visitors to our booth told us of how proud they are of Bunbury’s connection to Setagaya, and we heard many stories of youths who are going to travel to Setagaya for a homestay next month. It came as a fresh reminder of the importance and value of healthy sister city relations.
There were also many exhibitions featuring Japanese culture such as kimono, bonsai and cosplay, and Busselton ran a booth in conjunction with their sister city Sugito, in Saitama Prefecture. Guests enjoyed a variety of performances, from Taiko drums, Japanese martial arts such as Kendo and Kyudo, to cosplay dances.
