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Sister City Stories
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This long-standing link came about when in May of 1979, the then President of the Nagoya branch of the Japan-Australia Society and Head of the Nagoya Chamber of Commerce and Industry Mr Miyake attended an international conference in Australia. He met with a Mr Black, who at the time was Honorary Secretary of the NSW Australia-Japan Society, and because of the friendly and easygoing attitude of the two cities, it was only a year after this first meeting that the official signing of the sister city agreement occurred. Through the study of rearing techniques and training in the cultivation of Eucalypts, the relationship between the keepers and other staff at both zoos developed, and consequently in 1996, Higashiyama and Taronga Zoos were linked by a "Sister Zoo Agreement". Under this agreement, staff members of the two zoos occasionally participate in exchange training programs, and this year a Taronga staff member spent 40 days on a study tour to Higashiyama, returning from this trip in August. The relationship between the two zoos has not stopped at the gift of the koalas, but has developed into an extensive, mutually beneficial venture for both with regards to zoo management. One of the highlights of this 20-year relationship was in 1984, when as a symbol of friendship of the two cities, a koala was sent to the Nagoya Higashiyama Municipal Zoo - a first for Japan. Since then 8 male and 4 female koalas have been sent to Nagoya. All of Nagoya's sister cities around the world have donated a native animal from their country to the zoo, but the koalas were voted "Most Popular Animal" amongst zoo visitors. Through the study of rearing techniques and training in the cultivation of Eucalypts, the relationship between the keepers and other staff at both zoos developed, and consequently in 1996, Higashiyama and Taronga Zoos were linked by a "Sister Zoo Agreement". Under this agreement, staff members of the two zoos occasionally participate in exchange training programs, and this year a Taronga staff member spent 40 days on a study tour to Higashiyama, returning from this trip in August. The relationship between the two zoos has not stopped at the gift of the koalas, but has developed into an extensive, mutually beneficial venture for both with regards to zoo management. On the topic of staff exchanges, every year Nagoya City Government sends one of its employees to the City of Sydney for one year as a trainee. Established in 1986, 8 men and 6 women have so far participated in the program, and on their return their newly acquired skills are employed in departments of Nagoya City such as the International Relations Division, or other related departments. The current participant, Mr Kazuaki Enomoto is a civil engineer at the Public Transport Bureau at Nagoya City. At the moment he is working in the Service Development Department of the City of Sydney, training in the maintenance of roads and parkland areas. The two cities have also signed a Student Exchange Agreement for senior high school students. This was signed in 1996 between the NSW Minster for Education Mr John Aquilina and Mr Takehisa Matsubara, the then Superintendent of the Nagoya Board of Education (now the Mayor of Nagoya City), during a visit to Nagoya by Mr Aquilina. Each year when it is summer holidays in Japan, 8 boys and 8 girls are selected from Nagoya high schools to spend a 3-week short-term exchange in high schools in Sydney. One to two months after this the Sydney students, with whom the Nagoya children stayed on their visit to Australia, travel to Japan and stay with the children and their families. Through these short visits, the children learn a little more about the others' culture, and these programs are very popular not only with the children, but enjoy a good reputation with the families of these students. This year, there are exhibitions and events being held in Nagoya which showcase the Olympic City, and after the Olympics in November a delegation from Nagoya will come to Sydney to take part in the Anniversary celebrations. As part of this delegation there will be 100 Nagoya citizens who will fund this trip to Sydney themselves. There is no doubt that these special events commemorating the 20th Anniversary of the Sydney-Nagoya sister city link will expand and further the relationship between the two cities.
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