Public Diplomacy
Monthly Glocal News
December 2019
- Canoe of friendship – Gift from Palau –
- Iikura Guest House Reception, Miyazaki Prefecture
- Regional revitalization from the perspective of international people -vol.4- (“Silk Ties – Tomioka Silk Mill and France” by Mr. Damien Robuchon)
- 50 years efforts for sister-state friendship between Shiga Prefecture and Michigan State, US (by Shiga Prefecture, Consulate General of Japan in Detroit)
- Let’s learn about partner country and region of Host Town through school lunch
- Diplomats’Study Tour to Kagoshima Prefecture
- Antenna Shop -vol.4- : IBARAKI sense
Canoe of friendship – Gift from Palau –
Friendship canoe sailing along an ancient route in Seto Inland Sea
Canoe on display at Mie Maritime High School
In 1996, when Palau and Mie Prefecture signed a friendship agreement, then President of Palau presented a canoe, made by traditional method to Mie Prefecture as a symbol of their friendship. After 20 years, the canoe that regained the appearance of the time through repairs sailed along an ancient route from Miyazaki Prefecture to Mie Prefecture in two years. Because the canoe has a crescent moon pattern on its side, this voyage was named “Tsukuyomi Project” name taken from the moon god in Japanese mythology. In this article, we’ll introduce this project and friendship exchange between Mie Prefecture and Palau.
Iikura Guest House Reception, Miyazaki Prefecture
Opening Celemony
Tasting Miyazaki Beef
On November 8, the reception co-hosted by Foreign Minister Motegi and Governor of Miyazaki Prefecture Kono was held in order to introduce their attractive sightseeing spots, food, traditional crafts and their activities to promote sports at the Iikura Guest House. The Kagura performance was shown on the stage.
This is the 19th reception co-hosted by Foreign Minister and a head of local government at the Iikura Guest House for the diplomatic corps and foreign chambers of commerce and industry in Japan, in order to promote a variety of charms of the local community.
Regional revitalization from the perspective of international people -vol.4- (“Silk Ties – Tomioka Silk Mill and France” by Mr. Damien Robuchon)
Tomioka Silk Mill was established by the instruction of Japan in early Meiji era. After the historic Mill was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List, a lot of exchange events took place between Japan and France. Mr. Damien Robuchon, a CIR (Coordinator for International Relations) in Tomioka City, Gunma Prefecture, participated in the planning and preparation of these exchange activities, including editing and translation PR materials, and worked as interpreter for these occasions. We will introduce Mr. Robuchon’s ideas that he offered and his thoughts about how to tell the value of the Tomioka Silk Mill to the people from other countries, making the most of the existing relations between Tomioka City and France.
Tomioka Silk Mill
(World cultural heritage, National treasure)
A copper factory in Cerdon tells dawn of
friendship relationship between Japan and France
Signing ceremony of friendship city agreement
between Tomioka City and Bourg-de-Péage City
50 years efforts for sister-state friendship between Shiga Prefecture and Michigan State, US (by Shiga Prefecture, Consulate General of Japan in Detroit)
In 2018, Shiga Prefecture and Michigan State celebrated their 50th anniversary of sister-state relationship, which was linked by their lakes. During the last 50 years, the Prefecture and the State developed their relationship in various fields such as people to people exchange, education, economy and lake-preservation cooperation. Toward next 50 years, they will promote further economic exchange through the prefecture’s local products and water environment cooperation with the common goal of lake- preservation in mind.
The exchange between Shiga and Michigan is not limited to the prefecture-state relationship; there are 13 sister city relationships, among them are Lansing-Otsu and Ann Arbor-Hikone, that also celebrate their 50th anniversary this year.
Calligraphy presentation by governors of
Shiga Prefecture and Michigan State
50th anniversary Ceremony of Lansing-Otsu
Sister City Relationship at Lansing City
50th anniversary Ceremony of Ann Arbor-Hikone
Sister City Relationship at Hikone City
Let’s learn about partner country and region of Host Town through school lunch
Local governments, registered as Host Towns of Tokyo 2020, started attempts to serve local dishes of their partner countries or regions in school lunch in order to familiarize their citizens with the culture of partner countries. We will introduce thee examples of school lunch, of Komagane City, Nagano Prefecture(Host Town of Nepal), Kazo City, Saitama Prefecture(Columbia) and Hofu City, Yamaguchi Prefecture(Serbia).
Junior high school students enjoying Nepalese school lunch
(Komagane City, Nagano Prefecture)
Students Serving Colombian meal
(Kazo City, Saitama Prefecture)
Serbian meal
(Hofu City, Yamaguchi Prefecture)
Diplomats’Study Tour to Kagoshima Prefecture
Sengan-en
Aquaculture site of amber jack
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Kagoshima Prefecture held a Diplomats' Study Tour to Kagoshima, titled ‘Go! Go! Kagoshima! WELLNESS TOUR’ from November 14 to 15. In this tour, diplomats visited historic facilities which show that Kagoshima Prefecture was one of the stages of the Meiji Industrial Revolution. Also they could deepen their understanding of how residents live together with active volcano by visiting industries that make use characteristics of nature as Mt. Sakurajima.
Antenna Shop -vol.4- : IBARAKI sense
IBARAKI sense
Hitachi’s thick pork cutlet
It is such an artistic and elegantly shining appearance that it never let people passing, who rush on and off the street in the corner of Ginza. This is IBARAKI sense, the antenna shop of Ibaraki prefecture that has just celebrated the 1st anniversary. Under the concept of “Ibaraki's carefully selected items to the world”, the store offers a variety of selected Ibaraki products and “tasteful” items. In order to convey the charm of Ibaraki, a treasury of food, this shop is equipped with a restaurant and a cafe, and also has a wide variety of PR food events. Let's enter the store and you’ll be greeted by gold-colored design using roses - the prefectural flowers- as a motif, that decorate all over the exterior.