Two Japanese cities, Amagasaki and Nagahama, located respectively in Hyogo and Shiga Prefectures.
In a heartwarming display of cultural exchange, the Japanese youth football team Cerezo Osaka recently visited Augsburg for a friendly match against the local football club, FC Augsburg (FCA). This event was organised as part of the ongoing twin city partnership between Augsburg and its sister cities, Amagasaki and Nagahama, Japan.
The partnership, initiated in 1959, was the brainchild of Magokichi Yamaoka, then CEO of Yanmar-Diesel Works in Japan. The initiative was further fostered by the Yamaoka Memorial Foundation of the Yanmar company, which continues to support the exchange programmes.
Amagasaki, a city in Hyogo Prefecture, boasts a population of approximately 450,000 people, and was granted city status in 1916. Located below sea level, it is protected by a lock. In the 8th century, Amagasaki was a significant port city, and in the Middle Ages, it grew as an outer port of Kyoto, becoming one of the leading cities in Japan. In the 17th century, a castle was built in Amagasaki to serve as western protection for Osaka. Today, Amagasaki is an industrial and commercial city, with industries including iron and steel, machinery manufacturing, chemical industry, and logistics.
Nagahama, another sister city, has a population of approximately 120,000 people and is a centre for textile machinery and chemical industries. It also has a branch of Yanmar Diesel Engines. Nagahama is located on Lake Biwa, the largest lake in Japan.
Last year, Augsburg and Amagasaki held their first-ever artist exchange, with Sarah Hendrysiak, an Augsburg artist, participating in the A-Lab in May 2018 and processing her experiences into photographs. A selection of Hendrysiak's photographs focusing on self-portraits is now on display in the Café in the Schaezlerpalais.
During their visit, the youth delegation also commemorated the victims of the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima on August 6, 1945 with a wreath-laying ceremony. In Amagasaki, they visited the 2018 reconstructed castle, exchanged with students of Sosei High School, visited a straw mat factory, and attended an open lesson concert. In Nagahama, they visited Nagahama Castle, a tea plantation with a tea ceremony, a kindergarten, and participated in rice harvesting and making onigiri.
Consul General Tetsuya Kimura reflected on last year's 60th anniversary celebration in Augsburg, specifically the Spring Festival, as a significant event. The Spring Festival, organised annually by the DJG in the Botanical Garden, strengthens mutual relations between Augsburg and its Japanese partner cities.
Two hashtags, #60sistercityaan and #60unserwebsite, have been created to celebrate 60 years of partnership between Augsburg and its Japanese partner cities. From September 14 to 28, 2019, ten young people travelled to Amagasaki and Nagahama for a photo action on Instagram, capturing their experiences and sharing them with the world.
The official city gift from Augsburg's Japanese partner city, Nagahama, was presented to Mayor Dr. Gribl by the Augsburg youth delegation and their leaders to mark the 60th anniversary of the city partnership. The gift, a traditional Japanese tea set, symbolises the deep and lasting friendship between the two cities.
The Japanese person who played an important role in 1959 in founding the city partnership between Augsburg and Amagasaki/Nagahama was Toshio Ishiguro. His contributions to the partnership have left a lasting legacy, fostering cultural exchange and friendship between the two cities for over six decades.
As we celebrate 60 years of partnership, it is clear that the friendship between Augsburg and its sister cities, Amagasaki and Nagahama, continues to flourish. Through cultural exchanges, sports events, and mutual visits, the bond between the cities grows stronger each year, creating a lasting connection that transcends borders.
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