This year’s Sister City Exchange Program was formally endorsed at council’s December 2024 meeting.
Twelve Federation Council (six young and six adults) residents visited Miki City from Tuesday, October 1 to Wednesday, October 9, 2024.
“The program provides residents with a life-changing opportunity to visit Japan, to experience and appreciate the culture firsthand,” deputy general manager Jo Shannon said.
“It is a reciprocal exchange program where one-year delegates from Miki City visit Australia and the following year delegates from the Federation Council area visit Japan.”
The former Corowa Shire Council and Yokawa Council held a Sister City relationship dating back to 1996.
A councillor with the former Corowa Shire Council, today’s Cr Derek Schoen has fond memories of the sister city relationship, saying he initiated the relationship with Yokawa.
“I went on one of the trips and was asked what we’d like to see,” Cr Schoen told councillors, I said Hiroshima.
“It was a day trip and I was asked why I said Hiroshima – I said it was very prominent in the education for students from Australia.
“There was a big sigh of relief when our sister delegates were told our students wanted to learn of the past so they can be well versed.”
A modern city on Japan’s Honshu Island, Hiroshima was largely destroyed by an atomic bomb on August 6, 1945, in World War 2.
Yokawa Township from Mino District was placed into Miki City in October 2005 and the relationship continued.
In May 2016, with the formation of the Federation Council, the relationship was strengthened by both councils signing new agreements during the Miki City visit to the Federation Council area in 2018.
“The program has fostered a strong relationship between the two cities and provided a profound experience for all who have been involved,” Ms Shannon said.
“The program has supported an array of connections and lifetime friendships, and opened up opportunities delegates and hosts may not have otherwise had.”
