Sharing the New Zealand story

Air New Zealand flights, Hutt Minoh House, kiwi food, New Zealand wine, studying in Lower Hutt, Canterbury clothing, and holidays downunder made us feel quite at home in Minoh on Sunday 4 October.

Tui Glen School kapa haka performance

Tui Glen School kapa haka performance

Ikumi and Sheena Hirayama talked to hundreds about Lower Hutt and New Zealand.

Ikumi and Sheena Hirayama talked to hundreds about Lower Hutt and New Zealand.

The New Zealand Autumn Fair was organised by the Minoh City Office, MAFGA and the Hutt Friendship Club to showcase our great country, region and city to their locals. It was attended by NZ travel agents and local companies with New Zealand products and thousands of locals.

Asking around in my best (admittedly limited) Japanese the highlight of the afternoon was Tui Glen School's kapa haka performance on stage.

We also took the opportunity to share a little about life in Lower Hutt and the opportunity to study in our high schools and universities in presentations throughout the afternoon.

 

While we were out visiting some of the great spots in and around Minoh we chose to use our national flag for our large group to navigate through crowds.

The flag attracted quite a bit of attention from other visitors to Japan around us and offered more viewpoints on our current flag debate. Though that's another blog post entirely!

 

BY JAMES LAMB, HMHFT SECRETARY

Celebrating 20 years of cooperation with Minoh City

2015 marks the 20th year of friendship and cooperation with Minoh City. We are fortunate to be able to celebrate this milestone in each city this year after Mayor Kurata came to Lower Hutt in February with a group of 22 from Minoh. Tomodachi Day saw hundreds attend the ceremony and share in Japanese culture in Lower Hutt.

Many who are connected to Lower Hutt and New Zealand from in and around Minoh gathered to join an official commemoration of the anniversary including Mark Sinclair, the New Zealand Ambassador to Japan. Read his post on the NZ Embassy Facebook page.

Ray Wallace speaks at the 20th anniversary of cooperating cities

Ray Wallace speaks at the 20th anniversary of cooperating cities

Our group grew to 34 visiting from the Hutt for the official celebration on Sunday 4 October and we were treated to Taiko drumming, dancing, singing andand were impressed by the Minoh-based Hutt Club learning a waiata to sing for us.

Each of us received a certificate of appreciation from Minoh City Mayor Tetsuro Kurata. It as unexpected and very special.

Read more about this on the Minoh City blog - in Japanese.

The ceremony was followed by the New Zealand Autumn Fair - more in my next blog post.

 

BY JAMES LAMB, HMHFT SECRETARY

 

One big family

The word family is often used to describe who we are while in Minoh. We've got a friendship agreement between our two cities and we're all making new friends but it's more than that. We feel like family.

The warmth, generosity and hospitality we have experienced in Minoh is very special.

Thank you to Mayor Tetsuro Kurata, the Minoh City Office, the Minoh Asscociation for Global Awareness (MAFGA), the Hutt Club, the Minoh Art Association and the many others who welcomed us to Minoh.

Mayoral delegation members welcomed by Minoh at MAFGA

Mayoral delegation members welcomed by Minoh at MAFGA

The Tui Glen School group welcomed at MAFGA by their host families

The Tui Glen School group welcomed at MAFGA by their host families

Thank you for exceptional hospitality, all your hard work, connections between our cities and enthusiasm for work on growing activities between our two cities and countries.

BY JAMES LAMB, HMHFT SECRETARY

Painted ducks?

Hutt Valley Rotary met with their sister club Minoh Rotary Club during Lower Hutt's October visit and joined the regular club meeting at Minoh Kanko Hotel. The two clubs signed a cooperation agreement in 2004 and Hutt club President Tony McCombs grabbed the opportunity to visit the Minoh club with his wife Kate, Mayor Wallace, Deputy Mayor Bassett and council CEO Tony Stallinger.

Minoh Rotary hosts Hutt Valley Rotary and Hutt City Council

Minoh Rotary hosts Hutt Valley Rotary and Hutt City Council

The two clubs talked about each other's activities, shared recent successes and proffered projects that could happen between the two clubs and cities. A memorable moment came when Tony McCombs spoke about the annual fundraising duck race along the Hutt River. Tony described how people could buy a duck and paint it, how smaller ducks simply had numbers on them and how the valley's Mayors each had one that looked like them and how businesses joined in the fundingraising spirit by adding costumes to theirs too. By this point you can imagine some of the expressions on the audience's faces were looking a little surprised and confused, until it was clarified that there were indeed plastic ducks. Phew.

Minoh Rotary liked the idea of a local duck race too and are already talking about how that might happen. When speaking to Tony afterwards, I asked him could the race be held in the two cities on the same day. Perhaps you could buy a duck in each race...

 

BY JAMES LAMB, HMHFT SECRETARY

Fire, fire, fire!

Now we know Mayor Ray Wallace isn't afraid of heights. He was treated to a skylift in the newest of all the Minoh Firetrucks - up over 50ft in the air.

The Mayor was very keen to see the city's emergency services and what they and Council have learned since the 2011 earthquake and tsunami. He was extremely impressed with the techology the emergency services operations centre and says that we can learn much from our friends in Minoh.

At the Minoh City Emergency Operations Centre.

At the Minoh City Emergency Operations Centre.

Mayor Wallace getting after showing us he's not afraid of heights up in the laddertruck.

Mayor Wallace getting after showing us he's not afraid of heights up in the laddertruck.

"Most people have fire extinguishers in their kitchens and virtually all homes have smoke alarms, something I would like to see in all homes in Lower Hutt," says Mayor Wallace.

"It's pretty clear that residents are well educated with so few call outs for fire services."

When we visited any office or building in Japan, it was pretty clear that health and safety is taken very seriously in this country. In times of need NZ has sent teams to Japan and they've come here. When we mentioned our own innovators to some in Osaka they were very impressed at the custom technology that local firm Fraser Fire and Rescue are pumping out.

The Plimmerton Volunteer Fire Brigade have recently been over and shared some joint training with their counterparts in Porirua's sister city Nisshio, Japan and one of their volunteers, Graeme Penty, has been part of our visit this year in his role as a teacher at Tui Glen School.

Years ago the Wainuiomata Bush Fire Force received a fire truck from Minoh City. There are good connections between firefighters in these cities and perhaps some potential to share a whole lot more.

 

BY JAMES LAMB, HMHFT SECRETARY