The inaugural Springtime in Japan 14 day Guided Tour will visit Christchurch's sister city Kurashiki and take in a range of sister cities in Honshu and Hokkaido. Using the sister city network, the tour aims to give the general public the opportunity to experience a country and culture not always considered easily accessible to Kiwis.
Organised by Sister Cities NZ, the homestay option is strongly recommended as a valuable part of the people to people experience that is a feature of the tour.
See the 'Springtime in Japan' [PDF 1MB] full itinerary and contact details for more information.
A 20 – 30 member delegation, led by Mayor Takeshi Nakada is to visit Christchurch in November 2003. This delegation will visit to celebrate the 30th anniversary and a dinner in their honour will be hosted by Mayor Garry Moore and Mayoress Pam Sharpe. The program for this visit is yet to be confirmed.
Mayor Garry Moore and his wife, Mayoress Pam Sharpe, are to lead a 25 member strong delegation to Kurashiki to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Christchurch -Kurashiki Sister City link.
This visit will enable delegates to sample the sights and hospitality of Kurashiki and it’s people at both formal and informal functions and visits.
If you are a Christchurch resident and would like to take part in this visit please contact Barbara August, International Relations co-ordinator, on telephone 941 8251 or email her at barbara.august@ccc.govt.nz. Places are limited so be in quick
An exciting year of exchanges is planned to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Christchurch - Kurashiki Sister City link. Some of thedelegations currently proposing to visit Kurashiki are:
Mayor Takeshi Nakada of Kurashiki accompanied by his wife, led a group of 23 citizens from Kurashiki to Christchurch for the official opening of the Sister Cities Gardens, 17 February 2001. This was the second 'Christchurch Experience', following the success of the October 1999 visit.
From 23 to 28 November the Christchurch-Kurashiki Sister City Committee hosted the disabled exchange visit of a 12 year-old girl, Tomomi, who has cerebral palsy. Tomomi was accompanied by two assistants. She had a brilliant time and wanted to become a 'Kiwi kid' happy to eat Weetbix but Marmite was going to be a problem! Before she left she stated that she will be back to live in 10 years!
A Christchurch Adult delegation of 9 people, including Deputy Mayor Lesley Keast visited Kurashiki from 2 to 11 October. It is likely that the next Kurashiki Experience will coincide with the 30th anniversary celebrations in 2003.
A visit to Christchurch from 21 to 24 October of a group of 33 residents from Kurashiki was a huge success. Many of the visitors, who spent five days in Christchurch, had been selected because they had previously home-hosted Christchurch delegation members. Many opted to be home-hosted for two of the four nights they were in Christchurch. The visit proved so successful that it was repeated with a group visiting Christchurch for the opening of the Sister Cities Gardens in 2001.