Friday, December 01, 2006
Speech to mark 50 years of Minoh's incorporation as a city, Minoh City, Japan, 1 December 2006.
Konichiwa and kia ora.
Thank you for the very warm welcome you have given us. It is a great pleasure to be here again, and to take part in the celebration of the 50th anniversary of Minoh City’s incorporation as a city.
This is my second visit to Minoh City, having been here last year to celebrate the 10-year anniversary of the Co-operating City agreement between Hutt City and Minoh City.
Minoh City is a beautiful and vibrant city. The city council and the people of the city should be congratulated for their commitment to the city.
Thank you for inviting us here and for looking after us so well during our stay. I regard it as an honour and privilege to speak to you on this most important occasion.
On behalf of the people of Hutt City, New Zealand, I extend my warmest greetings and congratulations for reaching this significant milestone in your city’s history.
Much has been achieved in the 11 years Hutt City and Minoh City have been sister cities. Our relationship has blossomed. There are regular school exchanges by both students and teachers. I recently hosted two school groups from Minoh City in my Mayoral office for afternoon tea. They were a fine group of young people and a credit to your city.
Hutt City has a strong interest in education. It is an important building block in our drive to be a family friendly city where we provide a stable community and a safe and healthy environment for families to grow and develop.
The most visible sign of our relationship and friendship is the Hutt Minoh Friendship House. It is the symbol of our link, and earlier this year I was very pleased to be able to take part in a lunch to celebrate the festival of hanami and bring together people involved in Japanese culture from around the Wellington region.
I said at the lunch that the House was a tangible sign of the relationship between Minoh City and Hutt City, a relationship that is very important to us and one that we value and treasure.
I said that the Hutt City Council was committed to developing international relationships and fostering friendship with countries and communities around the world.
No relationship was more important to us than the relationship with Minoh City, and the House expressed that. I said that I hoped the relationship would thrive and grow like the cherry tree in blossom.
The House itself is put to good use. There is a wide range of Japanese cultural activities including language classes, ikebana, and archery in the grounds.
This year Hutt City held a festival in another part of the city to celebrate Japanese culture. It included performances of Japanese music, song and martial arts, displays of ikebana and other crafts, and food tasting. We were honoured to have the Ambassador of Japan to New Zealand, Mr Masaki Saito, open the festival.
The foundations of a good relationship have been laid over the last 11 years. I look forward to finding other ways in which lasting and fruitful friendships can develop to deepen the links between our cities.
Again, I thank you for hosting us in Minoh City. I wish to extend a warm invitation for you to visit us in Hutt City, and see for yourself our beautiful country New Zealand. We look forward to seeing you.