The 2005 programme featured two main elements, a seminar in Tokyo and an exchange programme in a Japanese local authority. The Tokyo Seminar was held on Monday, 14 November at CLAIR Headquarters in Tokyo. Delegates participated in workshops on the Japanese local government system. The following day featured a tour of Tokyo and several government-related facilities in the Tokyo area.

The exchange programme was held in Ibaraki Prefecture from Wednesday, 16 November until Monday, 21 November. In Ibaraki , delegates had the opportunity to tour a number of government facilities and institutions and could also meet and speak directly with local civil servants.

CLAIR would like to take this opportunity to thank all delegates who participated in programme and offer a warm welcome to those attending in 2006.

About the experience:

Katie Whitehead ( Australian Local Government Association )

The CLAIR Fellowship Exchange Programme was a very good mix of the cultural, business and personal. The homestay was an excellent inclusion in to the programme as it allowed delegates the opportunity to see more than just the business side of Japan. I thoroughly enjoyed the experience and am keeping in touch with the family and friends who welcomed me into their homes.

Christine Williams ( Queensland Treasury )

I had not been to Japan before so the experience of getting to know a country, albeit over a very short timeframe, was very exciting for me. It was also interesting to know that governments around the world share similar challenges (policing policy, the challenge of ageing) and to learn about how cultural differences can result in very different policy options being developed.

Owen Harvey-Beavis (Municipal Association of Victoria )

The program was very enjoyable, interesting and was directly applicable to my work in Australia. The mix between examining policy, Japanese culture, the operation of government and networking with government officials was very comprehensive and provided the delegation with the capacity to improve their knowledge and skills.

Bryce Hines (Local Government Association of Queensland )

I found the overall program to be an excellent balance of site visits and face to face discussion and it provided a wonderful introduction to Local Government in Japan. A particular highlight was the opportunity to gain a greater understanding of the Local Government structural reform process currently underway in Japan

Robert Ball (Hornsby Shire Council, New South Wales )

I would not have wished to miss this opportunity and consider the program to be an extremely valuable one generating wonderful relationships between Japan and Australia and our peoples. Exposure to these study tours expands one's knowledge and understanding. Specifically, the seminar assisted me with my thinking on local democracy, amalgamations, LG funding, tax revenue distribution and environmental concerns.

John Sutton (Department of Internal Affairs, New Zealand )

My work area covers all strategic issues relating to Local Government in New Zealand , so learning about another system and its strategic issues was relevant and useful. As the Japanese system does differ from New Zealand 's in some fundamental ways, the glimpses into Japanese history, culture and society that we experienced made an important contribution.

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