Consul General Minoya Visits Hamilton (10 August 2026)
2026/8/31
On 10 August 2026, Consul General Minoya visited Hamilton, where he paid a courtesy call on Mayor Tim Macindoe and participated in activities related to sister-city exchanges.
He first attended a welcome ceremony at Fairfield Intermediate School for students from municipal junior high schools in Saitama City and delivered remarks. Referring to the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Japan and New Zealand in 2027, he highlighted the importance of grassroots exchanges, including sister-city ties, and expressed his hope that the participating students would become bridges between our two countries in the future.
He then visited the Japanese Garden of Contemplation at Hamilton Gardens, accompanied by Director Lucy Ryan and members of the Waikato Japanese Community Trust. The garden was developed with the cooperation of the former Urawa City (now part of Saitama City), Hamilton’s sister city, and opened in 1997. Consul General Minoya expressed his appreciation for the way the garden has been so beautifully maintained and cared for, and for its contribution to establishing and promoting Japanese culture in Hamilton.
Consul General Minoya also met with members of the Japanese community in Hamilton including those involved in Japanese-language education at the University of Waikato, and exchanged views on the activities of the local Japanese community and the current state of Japanese-language education in the region.
He subsequently paid a courtesy call on Mayor Tim Macindoe, with Deputy Mayor Geoff Taylor also in attendance. They exchanged views on the long-standing sister-city relationship between Hamilton and Saitama City. Consul General Minoya also introduced the activities of the local Japanese community and Japanese companies, and they affirmed their intention to further develop the friendly relationship across a broader range of areas.
He first attended a welcome ceremony at Fairfield Intermediate School for students from municipal junior high schools in Saitama City and delivered remarks. Referring to the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Japan and New Zealand in 2027, he highlighted the importance of grassroots exchanges, including sister-city ties, and expressed his hope that the participating students would become bridges between our two countries in the future.
He then visited the Japanese Garden of Contemplation at Hamilton Gardens, accompanied by Director Lucy Ryan and members of the Waikato Japanese Community Trust. The garden was developed with the cooperation of the former Urawa City (now part of Saitama City), Hamilton’s sister city, and opened in 1997. Consul General Minoya expressed his appreciation for the way the garden has been so beautifully maintained and cared for, and for its contribution to establishing and promoting Japanese culture in Hamilton.
Consul General Minoya also met with members of the Japanese community in Hamilton including those involved in Japanese-language education at the University of Waikato, and exchanged views on the activities of the local Japanese community and the current state of Japanese-language education in the region.
He subsequently paid a courtesy call on Mayor Tim Macindoe, with Deputy Mayor Geoff Taylor also in attendance. They exchanged views on the long-standing sister-city relationship between Hamilton and Saitama City. Consul General Minoya also introduced the activities of the local Japanese community and Japanese companies, and they affirmed their intention to further develop the friendly relationship across a broader range of areas.
