New Westminster, British Columbia, Canada, and Moriguchi City, Osaka Prefecture, Japan, established the first sister city agreement between Japan and Canada in 1963, and next year will mark its 60th anniversary.
To ensure that exchanges between sister cities continue even in times when travel is difficult due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Japan-Canada Chamber of Commerce held an online event on February 12, 2022, connecting young people from both cities and both countries. A total of 33 young people aged 13 to 25 gathered from all over Japan, not just Moriguchi City, and young people from Canada, and exchanged information about their lives, cultures, interests, and dreams in both English and Japanese.
In these uncertain global times, we believe that opportunities for people to connect are especially important, and we will continue this exchange event as a series. We hope that this will be an opportunity for young people from both countries to continue their exchanges, and that next year, when our sister city relationship celebrates its 60th anniversary, they will be able to meet in person and celebrate together.
Planning: Karen Baker-MacGrotty
Operated by: Mari Kato
New Westminster (BC) and Moriguchi (Osaka) formed the first Canada and Japan sister city relationship in 1963.
To strengthen the tie despite the pandemic, JCCOC hosted a Youth Online Session on February 12th 2022 with 33 young participants agad 13-25 from Canada and Japan.
They shared an inspiring time together, talking about their life, culture, and language in a 60-minute session. It was also a perfect opportunity for those studying Japanese or English to try out their second language in practice, or for bilingual participants to assist other participants for better communication.
Believing that creating more bonds among people does lead us to a better world, we will continue offering more occasions of online interactions between Canada and Japan, while wishing that they will celebrate the 60th anniversary of the sister city relationship next year in person.
Organizer: Karen Baker-MacGrotty
Facilitator: Mari Kato
