Palmerston North city councillor Vaughan Dennison reflects on his trip to Mihara, Japan

Palmerston North city councillor Vaughan Dennison in Mihara's Kia Ora Square.

OPINION

Throughout history, cities have participated in cultural exchanges that might resemble a sister-city or twin-city relationship. The modern concept of sister cities grew during World War II. More specifically, it was inspired by the bombing of the English city of Coventry on November 14, 1940.

The world changed forever on August 6, 1945. The Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park is a place of remembrance and contemplation of the atrocities caused by the first atomic bomb and advocates for world peace.

The idea of sister cities emerged as a way of establishing solidarity links between cities in Allied countries that went through similar devastating events. These days, sister-city relationships are agreements between two geographically and politically distinct localities to promote cultural, educational and commercial ties. Palmerston North has five such international relationships:

• Guiyang, Guizhou Province, China;
• Kunshan, Jiangsu Province, China;
• Missoula, Montana, United States;
• Wageningen, the Netherlands;
• Mihara, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan.

On March 21, 2019, Palmerston North signed an official declaration of partnership with Mihara. Mihara is in south-central Hiroshima Prefecture and has an estimated population of 90,000, similar to Palmerston North. Mihara has signified our relationship by naming its civic square Kia Ora Square.

Late last year, while in Japan, I was honoured to make a civic visit to Mihara and meet the deputy mayor. I presented gifts on behalf of our city before visiting the city hall, a fire station and castle ruins.

I also visited the Hiroshima Global Academy, operated under the Hiroshima Prefectural Board of Education. The academy opened in 2019 on the island of Ōsakikamijima. Students attend from all over Japan and from all over the world, contributing to the creation of an unparalleled learning and living environment.

Palmerston North City Council, Mihara and the Hiroshima Prefectural Board of Education are entering a memorandum of understanding for an annual scholarship for a Palmerston North student to study for three years with free tuition. This is a great opportunity for students to consider.

I also visited International Pacific University in Okayama, the Institute of the Pacific United New Zealand’s home campus, and met New Zealand students, several from Palmerston North. It is powerful to see exchanges of learning and culture with your own eyes. There are many examples of how international relationships and sister cities can enrich our lives and our city.

Vaughan Dennison is a Palmerston North city councillor.