Kaohsiung, Hachioji Mark 20 Years of Friendship with Reciprocal Tourism

Kaohsiung, Taiwan, and Hachioji, Japan, are marking two decades of their sister city partnership with a new reciprocal tourism initiative. Kaohsiung's Deputy Mayor Li Huai-jen and Hachioji Mayor Kazuo Hatsushuku jointly announced the program, which allows Kaohsiung residents to visit the Hachioji Yume Art Museum free of charge by presenting their identification.

Li Huai-jen expressed gratitude for Hachioji's swift agreement to the proposal, emphasizing the goal of encouraging mutual visits and integrating the 20-year friendship into the daily lives of citizens. He also acknowledged the long-standing support for Taiwan-Japan exchange from Hachioji council members, including Koichi Hagiuda, and the efforts of Ryuichi Kurosu, chairman of the Hachioji Taiwan Exchange Association, in fostering cooperation in education, culture, agriculture, and literature over the past two decades.

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Kaohsiung citizens can visit the Hachioji Yume Art Museum free of charge with their identification.

Further strengthening educational ties, Kaohsiung's Education Bureau announced that Shoushan Junior High School and Shoushan Elementary School have established sister school relationships with Izumi-no-Mori Gakuen in Hachioji. Additionally, four kindergartens from Kaohsiung have become sister institutions with Hachioji kindergartens. These new partnerships are expected to promote student and teacher exchanges, cultural learning, and international early childhood education, broadening students' global perspectives.

Kaohsiung's Department of Economic Development highlighted the fruitful exchanges between the two cities, including Hachioji's procurement of Kaohsiung's diamond pineapples for its junior high school lunches, benefiting approximately 15,000 students annually. Kaohsiung has also been incorporated into Japanese textbooks, introducing more students to Taiwan and Kaohsiung. The city government plans to continue expanding these diverse collaborations to sustain the close partnership.

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We will continue to consult with Hachioji on more cooperation, encouraging citizens to visit each other and further integrate the 20-year city friendship into the daily lives of citizens.