~ Photos and article by Queanbeyan City Council ~
The Sister City relationship, originally between Queanbeyan and Hattamura, was formally established in 1992 and student and community/adult delegations have taken place every year since 1993. Usually Japanese students come here in August (their summer holidays); and Queanbeyan has been sending students there in our spring holidays (October).
On 1 April 2003 Minami-Alps City was formed due to the merger of four towns and two villages including Hatta. The towns and villages that complete Minami-Alps City are Hatta Village, Shirane Town, Ashiyasu Village, Wakakusa Town, Kushigata Town and Kosai Town. Queanbeyan has continued a sister city relationship with Minami-Alps City.
Minami-Alps city hosted a formal celebration of the 10 year anniversary on 17 October 2013 and as such has invited representatives from all their six sister cities.
Council’s delegates, Cr Sue Whelan, General Manager Gary Chapman and Sister City Coordinator Ms Helen Hone, departed Canberra Airport on Monday 14 October and arrived at Narita Airport Japan 6am Tuesday 15 October. We were greeted by Taeko Lino and Kaori Hara who would be our escorts and interpreters for the time we were there.
While waiting for other sister city delegates from the US towns of Marshalltown and Winterset to arrive at 5pm the group visited Tokyo, then to arrive in Minami-Alps 9.30pm that evening to be met by our hosts and travel to their homes.
Home stay allows visitors to experience full Japanese life and we are very grateful to our hosts who invited us into their homes so we could experience their home life and culture.
October 17 was the formal day and commenced with a ceremony at Tougenbunka Hall, where the 10 years, since the time of the amalgamation of councils, including Hatta-Mura, to form Minami-Alps City Council was celebrated. All Sister Cities were represented, as well as the mayors of the former council areas, including Mr. Saito who was Mayor of Hatta-Mura, our original Sister City.
In the evening the Sister City relationship was celebrated at another function at Tougenbunka Hall. Cr Whelan spoke and extended greetings and congratulations on behalf of our Mayor and the Council and presented Queanbeyan’s gift; a painting by local Queanbeyan artist Sue Roger to the Mayor of Minami Alps. A presentation was also made to Queanbeyan City Council.
As part of the visit, delegates were taken to a number of cultural and other significant features within the region. These included a visit to ANDO House – a very old traditional Japanese house, dating from the 1600’s, Shunsen Museum, Mt. Fuji, Shousenkyo – a wonderful scenic area in the surrounding mountains and an old restored heritage hotel in Tokyo, considered to be a national treasure.
