Peace Event at Henderson Japanese Garden with Kakogawa Students based on the sister city relationship (15 August 2025)
2025/8/19
On 15 August, Consul General MATSUI attended a peace event at the Henderson Japanese Garden, welcoming a group of junior high school students from Kakogawa City, Hyogo Prefecture based on its sister city relationship with Auckland (former Waitakere) City.
The students received a warm welcome from Hon Chris Carter, JP, Chair of the Henderson-Massey Local Board, and Ms Brooke Loader, a member of the Board. Then, they rang the Peace Bell, a gift from Kakogawa City, in a prayer for global peace and unity, and performed the Japanese traditional dance “Soran Bushi” to express their thanks. Staying with host families, the students will also visit schools in Auckland.
Consul General MATSUI expressed his appreciation to former Waitākere City Mayor Sir Robert Anster Harvey for his decades of dedication in fostering friendship between the two cities since 1992, Hon Carter and the Henderson-Massey Local Board, the Kakogawa City Mayor, the Board of Education, the junior high schools, the International Association and peoples of the two cities who made this year’s visit happen. Consul General MATSUI also praised the significance of this long-standing grass-roots peace initiative, while reflecting on the 80th anniversary of the hibaku of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, which moved the two cities into their sister city exchange and renewing our own wishes and vows for peace.
The Consulate-General of Japan supports this effort and hopes that the willingness to continue building future bonds together between NZ and Japan will be passed on to the next generations of both cities and reach out to the peoples of the world.
The students received a warm welcome from Hon Chris Carter, JP, Chair of the Henderson-Massey Local Board, and Ms Brooke Loader, a member of the Board. Then, they rang the Peace Bell, a gift from Kakogawa City, in a prayer for global peace and unity, and performed the Japanese traditional dance “Soran Bushi” to express their thanks. Staying with host families, the students will also visit schools in Auckland.
Consul General MATSUI expressed his appreciation to former Waitākere City Mayor Sir Robert Anster Harvey for his decades of dedication in fostering friendship between the two cities since 1992, Hon Carter and the Henderson-Massey Local Board, the Kakogawa City Mayor, the Board of Education, the junior high schools, the International Association and peoples of the two cities who made this year’s visit happen. Consul General MATSUI also praised the significance of this long-standing grass-roots peace initiative, while reflecting on the 80th anniversary of the hibaku of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, which moved the two cities into their sister city exchange and renewing our own wishes and vows for peace.
The Consulate-General of Japan supports this effort and hopes that the willingness to continue building future bonds together between NZ and Japan will be passed on to the next generations of both cities and reach out to the peoples of the world.
