New teacher exchange

Minoh and Lower Hutt have now signed an agreement for a new teacher exchange starting next year.

Known to the group who are putting it together on the Lower Hutt side as MINTEX - MINoh Teacher EXchange - the exchange will involve two teachers for up to 2 weeks in schools of both cities.

It's expected the teachers will co-teach classes, engage with teachers and students and will include cultural and sightseeing activities too.

We're fortunate to have the close support of the Minoh City [Council] Office for this as their remit is to oversee the education of students in Minoh as well as other social welfare portfolios.

Tony Stallinger, Ray Wallace, Tetsuro Kurata and Toshio Guda signing an agreement committing to the teacher exchange.
 

BY JAMES LAMB, HMHFT SECRETARY
 

Group photo!

Photo. Cameras and more photos. Go to any tourist hot spot here in New Zealand and you'll see visitors to our country taking photos. As locals we might think it's overkill. Until you do it yourself!

Perhaps social media has now made us more eager to snap away!

Recently I've heard a great piece of advice a couple of times recently. "Put the camera down, put your phone down and soak it up through your own eyes."

I'm glad I did.

Admittedly it's just 4 days back in New Zealand now, though the moments I remember the most vividly are those where I did in fact forget about my camera and phone.

So picture a serene hillside lake surrounded by what seem like a hundred well kept semi-bonsai trees, acres of dense bush folding over the lush hills around us and fish calmly meandering around the lake that enshrines a beautifully kept golden building...

Just for you, here is my favourite group shot taken at Kinkaku-ji Temple of "the temple of the golden pavilion" in Kyoto.

Taking some time to appreciate the special places around us in Japan.
 

BY JAMES LAMB, HMHFT SECRETARY

Sharing our little slice of paradise

The Mayor met with the Osaka-based Japan New Zealand Centre while in Minoh last week. 

Since 2006 Lower Hutt has been very fortunate to welcome 78 teachers, 272 students attending a Rugby Camp based at Petone Rugby Club, a dozen on a Wellington regional gardening tour and more high school English Language students to Wainuiomata. Last year Hutt Valley High School also hosted several students from Higashisumiyoshi Ward of Osaka in a new programme created by the Japan New Zealand Centre which was appraised very highly by the ward level education office. Thanks Hutt High!

We at the Hutt Minoh House Friendship Trust have also recently supported these trips which stemmed from a relationship with Hutt City Council and the Hutt City i-SITE Visitor Centre. 

There's potential to bring many more visitors to Lower Hutt with the potential for a new tour or two and we thank Yuriko Tegoshi and the team at Japan New Zealand Centre for allowing us to share our little slice of paradise with visitors from Japan. Arigato gozaimasu!

Hutt and Minoh art exchange

Minoh Art Association members showing the group around Expo Park just out of Minoh

Earlier this year several members of the Minoh Art Association visited the Hutt Art Society and their president Minoru Kugo and his team have been hosting several members of the Hutt City Arts and Culture Advisory Group. While in Minoh they have soaked up local art having visited a few museums, galleries and indulged in quite a bit of Japanese culture including a tea ceremony or three.

Hutt Art Society and the Minoh Art Association are now talking details for a future art exchange.

With a long term outlook - the two art organisations have agreed to collaborate on a two-way art exchange involving a significant number of works. Plus I'm sure there will be other ways they can exchange ideas and talent.

On a visit to Katsuo-ji Temple in the hills behind MInoh we got to test out the talent within our group as we followed the customer of illustrating facial patterns on our "daruma" good luck doll. Hutt Art Society president David Balm did well with his calligraphy pen and kept his reputation intact!

Thanks to Minoru Kugo and your association members for your very generous hospitality for members of the arts group within the Mayoral delegation and allowing them to have a concurrent itinerary. Very very much appreciated!

BY JAMES LAMB, HMHFT SECRETARY

Japanese style BBQ

What a treat! Kawayuka Isoyoshi is a restaurant where I felt like I was back in New Zealand - feasting with a group of trampers with well travelled stoves in a wooden terrace-like hut back in the Orongorongo Valley - but the difference was were far too well dressed and we had cushions to sit on.

The rushing of the Minoh-Gawa [river] just metres below, and walkers on the trail opposite was enough to send me back home to the great outdoors. The custom of taking shoes off inside for meals added to that feeling - like taking off your soiled tramping boots before getting a meal ready.

Mayor Kurata and our hosts played cooks while we ate another healthy meal and learned how to cook our dinner Japanese BBQ style. Fresh veges plus marbled beef combined with sauces in a hot pot then dipped in raw mixed egg "for extra taste" equals one tasty dinner.

If you're ever in Minoh - this is one place you need to visit day or night. It's half way up the walkway to Minoh Falls from Minoh train station, perched above the river and open in Spring and Summer.

I am getting how Japan is one of the healthiest nations on the planet. I've eaten so well during my time in Japan. So incredibly well, yet it's no diet - it's just everyday food. Our breakfasts have included salads, plenty of vegetables and fish too.

Grilled herbed fish, rice with seaweed and sesame garnish, tofu and vegetable soup with a carton of milk.

My favourite meal has been the lunch served up to 600 students at Saito No Oka Gakuen [Primary School]. JPY220 bought us each a fine tasty meal - that's only NZD2.70. Outstanding!

The students had facilities to brush their teeth after lunch too. Would we ever see that in New Zealand?

I'm not big on seafood, but I think I just may have been converted during my time here!

BY JAMES LAMB, HMHFT SECRETARY