Consul General Hamada visits Whakatane
2022/2/16
On 26 January, 2022 Consul General Hamada visited Whakatane District Council in the Bay of Plenty and paid a courtesy call on Mayor Judy Turner and Deputy Mayor Andrew Iles.
Whakatane became a sister city of Kamagaya city in Chiba prefecture in 1997, and a friendship city of Shibukawa city in Gunma prefecture in 2016. Successive councils and mayors have actively supported this exchange both in spirit and materially, allocating a budget to promote exchange with the cities.
Mayor Turner is in her first term as mayor and is yet to have an opportunity to visit either of the cities due to the Covid-19 pandemic, but mentioned her wish to visit them as soon as possible to further strengthen the relationship.
Whakatane has a beautifully maintained Japanese garden which was made to commemorate the sister city relationship with Kamagaya city.
Whakatane became a sister city of Kamagaya city in Chiba prefecture in 1997, and a friendship city of Shibukawa city in Gunma prefecture in 2016. Successive councils and mayors have actively supported this exchange both in spirit and materially, allocating a budget to promote exchange with the cities.
Mayor Turner is in her first term as mayor and is yet to have an opportunity to visit either of the cities due to the Covid-19 pandemic, but mentioned her wish to visit them as soon as possible to further strengthen the relationship.
Whakatane has a beautifully maintained Japanese garden which was made to commemorate the sister city relationship with Kamagaya city.
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| From the right Consul-General Hamanda, Mayor Turner, Deputy Mayor Iles, Chief Executive Ms O'Sullivan |
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| The Japanese garden commemorating the sister city relationship with Kamagaya city | |