Japan-Australia Relations
Parliamentary Vice-Minister Iwao Horii Receives a Courtesy Call from the Delegation of Cowra Shire Council, New South Wales, Australia
May 17, 2018
On May 9, for approximately 40 minutes commencing at 5:20 p.m. the Cowra Shire Council (note1) delegation (note2) from New South Wales, Australia, paid a courtesy call to Mr. Iwao Horii, Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs. The overview is as follows.
- At the beginning of the call, Parliamentary Vice-Minister Mr. Iwao Horii welcomed the delegation's visit to Japan and expressed his gratitude for the hospitality shown to him during his visit to Cowra on April 28. Mr. Horii stated that it was very significant that the delegation took this opportunity of visiting Japan to renew their friendship with those who have contributed to building cordial relations between Japan and Cowra for many years.
- In reply, Councillor Bill West, Mayor of Cowra, showed his appreciation for Mr. Horii's visit to Cowra in April. Furthermore, Mr. West also expressed his willingness to further develop the existing friendly relations with Japan as next year will mark the seventy-fifth anniversary of the "Cowra Break-out".
- Parliamentary Vice-Minister Mr. Iwao Horii renewed his gratitude for the efforts made by Cowra for the post-war reconciliation between Japan and Australia and stated his intention to enhance cooperation with Cowra in the lead up to the seventy-fifth anniversary of the "Cowra Break-out".
(note1) During World War II, a prisoner of war (POW) camp was established in Cowra. On August 5, 1944, 238 people, including four Australian military personnel, were killed when Japanese prisoners of war (POWs) attempted a mass escape from the camp in an incident known as the "Cowra Break-out". The Japanese War Cemetery, which was established in 1964, is home to the graves of 522 Japanese nationals, including those who were killed during the "Cowra Break-out" and those who died in various locations in and around Australia during the war.
(note2) The Delegation of the City of Cowra consists of the following three members. The delegation will visit Tokyo, Fukuoka Prefecture and Joetsu City, Niigata Prefecture, during their visit to Japan from May 6 to May 16.
- Councillor Bill West, Mayor of Cowra
- Councillor Judi Anne Smith, Deputy Mayor of Cowra
- Mr Paul Devery, General Manager, Cowra Shire Council