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About Obu - Japan
This section of Port Phillip Online celebrates the strong ties and activities that connect the two cities of Port Phillip (Melbourne, Australia) and Obu (Japan).
The cities of Port Phillip and Obu officially became sister cities on 20 November 1993, with the official signing of the agreement taking place at St Kilda Town Hall. This followed a previously established sister relationship between the state of Victoria and the prefecture of Aichi, and a sister school relationship between Elwood College and Obu Higashi Senior School. A delegation of citizens and officials from both cities were present and in 1995 a re-signing of the sister city agreement took place in Obu. Since then, there have been many exchanges and activities, which have served to strengthen these ties.
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The Obu-Port Phillip Sister Cities Website
Visit the Sister Cities website at http://obu.portphillip.vic.gov.au for information about the relationship between Obu, Japan and Port Phillip, Australia, and read the stories of the people who have been involved in this relationship over the years.
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Official visits
Official visits between sister cities take place every year. Officials and citizens come together and explore their sister city and culture. As well as official tours and appointments, delegation members participate in homestays and a variety of family and community activities. These visits are a good opportunity for members of the community to realise the value of sister city relationships and experience first-hand the obvious advantages that can be gained through them, both for the city and the individual.
The visits include tours of the Port Phillip and Obu areas and their respective facilities, as well as visits to special attractions, such as the St Kilda penguins at the breakwater, and the Aichi Health Village.
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St Kilda Primary School - Ishigase Primary School
The sister school relationship between Ishigase Primary School and St Kilda Primary School evolved from the sister city relationship between Obu City and the City of Port Phillip, with the objective of exchanging children's pieces of work. Since 1994, International Understanding classes have been held, and in 1995 study presentations started.
On 13 September 1996 a delegation of fifteen members led by school principal Louise Pearce, visited Ishigase Primary School for the official signing of the sister school agreement between St Kilda Primary School and Ishigase Primary School, accompanied by an unveiling ceremony.
Since the signing of the sister school agreement, there has been an active exchange of students' work and penpal letters between the two schools, as well as official visits.
On 12 May 1997 Ishigase Primary School hosted an official visit from the City of Port Phillip, led by then mayor Christine Haag, which included an official welcome, a tour of the school and an informal lunch. A kite was presented to St Kilda Primary School.
In December 1997, to commemorate the signing of the sister school agreement, a monument created by the students, 'The Brilliance of Friendship', was presented to St Kilda Primary School.
On 17 August 1998 seven teachers from Ishigase Primary School, led by principal Osamu Kajitani, visited the City of Port Phillip and St Kilda Primary School. St Kilda Primary School has a Japanese program for all students from Prep to Grade 6, where they learn the language and culture. This program is greatly enhanced by their sister school relationship with Ishigase Primary School.
In April 2004, a delegation of teachers and students from St Kilda Primary School travelled to Obu City to visit Ishigase Primary School and take part in celebrations for the 10th anniversary of the Port Phillip - Obu sister city relationship.
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Middle schools visits
Every year a group of middle school students comes to Australia to study the culture and experience life in Australia. The students participate in a weekend homestay and tour of the City of Port Phillip, as well as visiting other cities in Australia. This annual study tour is considered of great importance to the students, and plays a great role in broadening their horizons, as well as being an enjoyable experience. This program has been active since 1994 and many students and homestay families have developed strong bonds which will endure throughout their lives.
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Elwood College - Obu Higashi Senior High School
Elwood College and Obu Higashi Senior High School have long shared a sister school relationship. The aim of the sister school program is to encourage understanding between countries through the experiences of young people and to specifically encourage the study of foreign languages in both countries.
After much planning and organising between the schools, a delegation of 18 Elwood College staff members visited Obu Higashi Senior High School in November 1985, and the sister school agreement was signed by the principals of both schools. The visit was held over two weeks, during which time the delegation members participated in classes, home room and club activities, further deepening the exchange between both staff and students.
Since the signing of the sister school agreement, a short term exchange program which takes place every second year has been established. Recognising the educational benefits that can be achieved through longer exchanges, a long term exchange program has also been established, with one or two students annually taking part in year-long exchanges in order to learn more about languages, cultures, and societies.
Principals, teachers, parents and students have all visited one another on many occasions and gifts, teaching materials and mementos have been exchanged. Those students who have participated in these exchanges have also returned to their home schools with memories of hospitality, friendship, and tolerance, which will shape their future lives.
It is difficult for schools to continue international exchanges single-handedly. There has been much support from school Parent Teacher Associations and other groups, and both schools regularly involve city councils in their sister school visits and student exchanges, giving students the opportunity to see governments working cooperatively towards international understanding.
Elwood College and Obu Higashi Senior High School have maintained a close relationship for thirteen years and out of this excellent relationship, the sister city program has evolved between Obu and Port Phillip.
In 2006, a party of 15 students from Elwood College visited Obu Higashi Senior High School to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Sister School relationship. After six days of classes, assemblies and excursions, we were joined by a group of students and teachers from St Kilda Primary School and began a tour around Japan. The primary students stayed for a brief time in Kyoto and after they returned to Australia, the rest of the party visited Hiroshima, Kanazawa, Hakone / Mt. Fuji and Tokyo.
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Sports visit
As part of the Obu Junior Sports League's 30th anniversary celebrations, six leaders and fourteen children visited the City of Port Phillip, from 25-31 March 1998. The highlights of this visit included the warm reception that the sports league received from so many staff members during their official visit to the City Hall, and the sports exchange and pyjama party, which were both held with students from Elwood College.
Although the visit was short, both cities benefited greatly from it, as did the children and adults involved. Experiences as wonderful as this can only occur as a result of the hard work by everyone involved in sister cities relationships in both cities, and through the support and co-operation of so many people in the visited city. Since arriving home, many people have voiced their support of the program and are enthusiastic for the trip to occur again if the opportunity arises.
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Sister city staff exchange program
The sister city relationship between Obu and Port Phillip began in 1993. Since then, there have been many activities to strengthen these ties - the staff exchange is one of them. The first staff exchange was in September 1997 when Masatsugu Oshima, an employee of Obu City Council, came to Port Phillip to live and work for three months. Early in 2004 the City of Port Phillip hosted Chiemi Hamajima, the seventh staff exchange between Obu and Port Phillip. In June 2005, the City of Port Phillip will be sending the eighth staff exchange member to Obu for three months.
Award for Staff Exchange Program
The Australian Sister Cities Association presented the City of Port Phillip with an award for excellence in cultural exchange at the annual Australian Sister Cities Association (ASCA) Conference on Wednesday 4 August 2004.
The Association presents awards in twelve categories and this year received 45 entries. There were nine entrants from all over Australia in the category of excellence in cultural exchange. The City of Port Phillip submitted two projects for consideration: the Staff Exchange Program and the 10th Anniversary Visit to Obu in April 2004. The Staff Exchange Program was recognised by ASCA as the project which most effectively stimulated interest in, and appreciation of, the cultural differences between sister communities.
Early in 2004 the City of Port Phillip hosted Chiemi Hamajima, the seventh staff exchange between Obu and Port Phillip. The success of her exchange sparked great interest from many local and interstate councils, and the Japanese Local Government Centre (CLAIR), which is based in Sydney, is featuring the staff exchange program as a case study in an upcoming report on sister city activities between Australia and Japan.
The next staff exchange will be from Port Phillip to Obu.
To read the full version of the award submission for the staff exchange program, please view the  Staff Exchange Program Award Submission.
Yiota Michaela in Obu
Yiota Michaela returned to the shores of Port Phillip after three hard-working, fun-filled months in our Japanese sister city, Obu.
During her staff exchange, Yiota (or Yiot-chan, as she is fondly referred to in Obu) ran a series of very successful Greek cultural workshops in Obu, giving both adults and children the opportunity to learn the finer points of dancing like Zorba the Greek and munching on Greek biscuits over a cup of Greek coffee. She also designed a dedicated Obu-Port Phillip Sister Cities website, which will provide a valuable resource to both our cities and communities. The Obu-Port Phillip Sister Cities website can be viewed at obu.portphillip.vic.gov.au
Yiota was also on hand to help out the official Port Phillip Expo delegation to Obu in June 2005. The Mayor, CEO and Sister Cities Coordinator travelled to Japan to introduce Port Phillip and launch a new St Kilda Foreshore walking trail to the Japanese market during Victoria Week at Expo 2005, Aichi. This visit was a great success and it was a wonderful opportunity for the official delegation to see how well Yiota had adjusted to life and work in Obu.
During her time in Obu, Yiota participated in many different activities, such as cha-no-yu (traditional tea ceremony), ikebana (traditional flower arrangement), Aikido (Japanese martial arts), karaoke, and was even Obu Postmistress For A Day.
Chiemi Hamajima in Port Phillip
Chiemi Hamajima, a 36 year-old child care worker, spent three months in early 2004 in Port Phillip on staff exchange.
Ms Hamajima, an expert in origami, was attached to the council's children's services department and worked mainly at the council's Chapel Street and Clark Street child care centres. She also read stories to children as part of story time activities at local libraries and schools.
The biggest differences between Japan and Australian child care centres, Ms Hamajima said, are the higher level of security in Australian child care centres and the independence of the children.
"Although there is security in Japanese child care centres, our centre doors are always unlocked so that the public can come and go as they like. In Australian centres, children seem to be taught at an early age to be as independent as possible - whereas in Japan the centre staff do as much for the children as they can. There the children learn independence later in life.
“In Japan, many of the specialised programs such as music and dance are run by centre staff. I think that in Australia, child care centres seem to employ external people to provide these programs. Although there are many differences between the two countries, the objectives of child care centres are the same - to provide a safe and nurturing environment where children can be happy and begin to establish good foundations for their physical and emotional growth,” she said.
Ms Hamajima observed that Australia was a very multicultural nation. “Because of this, I think Australians are very broad-minded and accepting of differences. The other thing that's struck me is that the food is very fresh but the servings are huge!” she said.
Ms Hamajima is the fourth Obu council worker to have visited Port Phillip since the staff exchange was formalised in 1997. Three Port Phillip staffers have visited Obu on exchange.
Before the visit, then Mayor Liz Johnstone said,
“We are particularly delighted that Obu City Council has chosen it first female staff member for the staff exchange.
“Our two societies and our two councils have quite different cultures but we're confident that the exchange of ideas and practices will be greatly beneficial to both Ms Hamajima and the City of Port Phillip.
“The cornerstone of our exchange is the principle that we can both learn from each other's cultures. We're particularly keen to learn about how Obu cares for its children. Their artistic skills seem to be much more developed at an early age,” she said.
Clarissa Forster in Obu
In 2003, Port Phillip's Litter and Waste Education Officer, Clarissa Forster was chosen to spend 3 months working in Obu City as part of the staff exchange program. Clarissa was based in Obu City's Environmental division, where she was able to study Japanese recycling methods and compare them with Port Phillip's own.
Everyday work for Clarissa included investigating dumped rubbish sites, visiting various industrial organisations and facilities, including Toyota, Nippon Steel, the local waste incinerator, which produces enough energy to heat the local pool, and a clothes recycling factory, which turns old clothes into carpets for cars.
"On the whole Japan is recycling a lot more than what we are ", Clarissa said. "I was very impressed to see that they recycled not only everything we are recycling, but all plastics and polystyrene [as well]. "
While she was in Obu, Clarissa organised an environmental poster school holiday project for local schoolchildren. Approximately 90 students created colourful posters based on the impact of litter in our stormwater drains. These posters have been displayed in both Obu and Port Phillip.
Although Clarissa was involved in a number of environmental, community and school based activities, her main project was organising a Clean Up Obu Day, similar to our Clean Up Australia Day. Approximately 300 people participated on the day, cleaning up a 2-kilometre stretch of the local Kuranagase River.
Although mandatory recycling for councils and industry were introduced in Japan some years ago, it still remains a large problem.
"Because Japan is such a small and mountainous country, it doesn't have the space to dispose of its waste to landfill," Clarissa explained. "I was taken aback that so much illegal dumping goes on." An 'aussie-style' barbecue took place afterwards to the accompaniment of the local brass band.
"The day was a great success. In total, 1.5 tonnes of rubbish was collected."
And the most unusual item found on the day? A kitchen sink!
Shigeo Suzuoki in Port Phillip
Shigeo Suzuoki spent three months on exchange from Port Phillip's Japanese sister city Obu.
When Shigeo Suzuoki was growing up, his father kept fields of rice and vegetables. It was here that the young Obu boy first learnt the importance of water conversation and of caring for the earth. Of nurturing plants and preparing for the future.
It was an early lesson in understanding the link between looking after our environment and sustainability. Now that he's grown up and employed by the City of Obu in Japan, Shigeo is as interested in environmental issues as ever.
Like Port Phillip, Obu has its share of problems. In fact, the Japanese have some serious issues to confront. There's a real lack of space, for instance, so there's little room for children's playgrounds, or green areas.
In Obu, Shigeo works in the accounts department but during his three-month stay in Port Phillip that ended in late March 2002, he was involved in the development of a website that focused on environmental issues. In particular, Shigeo was interested in buildings, flora and fauna and community life. As far as Shigeo is concerned, the environment is something you can't think about too much.
Shigeo stresses that his project is for the people of Port Phillip as well as Obu.
"It seems a lot of people take it for granted that they live here," Shigeo says. "I live in Obu, so I can see things that the people here should appreciate; the trees, the sea and the buildings."
In Obu the effect of devastating earthquakes mean that very few older buildings survive. Everything is new so there is no sense that that the city has history, that it has evolved rather than simply being there, homogenous like any other modern city.
Shigeo is also on a quest to ensure mutual understanding between folks here and back home.
"We should know each other," he says. "This is the first step towards better understanding between our cultures." But of course, the environment remains his biggest passion and focus.
"Most people don't think about it, but the environment means everything," he says. "We must do what is necessary, like picking the leaves up off the ground, collecting rubbish. But we also must think about the air and the water - before it's too late."
Verne Krastins in Obu
Verne Krastins returned from a 3-month visit to Obu in September 2001 and was the fourth staff exchange between Obu and Port Phillip. Port Phillip staff were invited to submit proposals for an arts project to be completed in Obu during the three-month staff exchange. Of the many and varied proposals submitted, Verne's idea to create a community choir was chosen as a project that would meet all the requirements: it was something that needed community involvement; it could be completed within three months of arriving in Obu; it had the potential to be sustained long after the staff exchange was over; and its creation would potentially serve to further strengthen the links between our communities.
The choir was named the Obu-Port Phillip Sister Cities Singers and there were a number of elements to its development. Verne looked rehearsing the choir in a public space - the 'busker model' - the purpose of which was to have a very informal and fun activity to raise the profile of the Sister City relationship in Obu. Rehearsals culminated in a performance at the more formal annual Obu Choral Festival in July 2000, but the choir has continued to perform at various events over the years since.
View some photos of Verne on the official Obu website at ww.city.obu.aichi.jp
Yukihiro Kuno in Port Phillip
Yukihiro Kuno visited the City of Port Phillip in January 2000 as the third participant of the Sister Cities staff exchange program. Yukihiro had the opportunity to meet many of the younger members of our community during his visits to local schools, where he ran Japanese sports clinics. His clinics included Japanese sumo and indiaca, a game similar to volleyball, but played with a giant shuttlecock instead of a ball. Yukihiro also participated in Senior Citizens' Day events, running sports clinics for the elderly.
Yukihiro took back to Japan many special memories of his stay in Port Phillip and the people he met and made friends with.
Carol Rhee in Obu
In September 1998 Port Phillip employee, Carol Rhee, visited Obu in reciprocation of Masa's staff exchange visit. Carol was based initially within the Town Hall, and later at Obu Central Library.
During her 3-month stay Carol worked with staff and the community, creating a Sister Cities Internet homepage and establishing both children's and adults' foreign book corners at the library.
Highlights of her trip included a homestay with a Japanese family and visiting historical cities, such as Kyoto and Hiroshima, as well as making new friends.
Carol gained much from this experience, and enjoyed the opportunity to share her experience of working for such a diverse and multicultural community as Port Phillip with the people of Obu.
Carol Tu (nee Rhee) is now our Sister Cities coordinator, looking after Port Phillip's relationship with Obu.
Masatsugu Oshima in Port Phillip
In September 1997, Masatsugu Oshima visited the City of Port Phillip as part of the inaugural staff exchange program. During his 3-month stay, 'Masa', as he became known, visited many different areas within the City of Port Phillip, including Environmental Services and the libraries. He also had the opportunity to visit many places in Victoria, such as Ballarat's Sovereign Hill and the Great Ocean Road, and to attend events such as the Melbourne Cup, the Royal Melbourne Show and an AFL final.
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Sister cities staff
Coordinator international relations, Obu (Japan)
Adam Simmonds
Since 1992, the City of Obu has employed a coordinator of international relations (CIR) who has been responsible for facilitating sister cities projects and promoting international relations through various activities. Following my predecessors Bonnie McCallum, Catherine Gittins and Bronte Neyland, I became the fourth CIR to have been appointed by the City of Obu upon my arrival in late January 2001.
My duties as a CIR are many and varied. My role is to promote international awareness and relations between citizens of Obu and the international community, including the non-Japanese community within the City of Obu itself, through assisting in the planning and organisation of the activities of the Obu International Association (OIA). The City of Obu has an active sister city relationship with the City of Port Phillip which has manifested itself in a variety of exchange projects between the two cities. Work related to these projects (such as staff and community exchanges, visits and information exchanges between community groups) forms a large part of my work. I work closely with Carol Rhee (sister cities coordinator, Port Phillip) and other staff at Port Phillip to ensure that programs run as smoothly as possible and to the benefit of both cities.
One of the most enjoyable aspects of my work is the feeling that one is helping people of different cultures to better understand one another, and acting as something of a bridge between cultures. Helping people to overcome barriers such as those presented by differences in language and culture is certainly a challenge, but having the opportunity to meet and work with a range of dedicated people (City of Obu staff, City of Port Phillip staff, OIA volunteers, citizens), makes my work extremely rewarding.
Sister cities coordinator, Port Phillip (Australia)
Carol Tu (nee Rhee)
I have been in this job since July 1999, but have been an employee of the City of Port Phillip since 1995. Before coming to work for Sister Cities, I worked as a library officer, based at the St Kilda branch library. Working closely with the public has given me an excellent understanding of the role of local government in supporting cultural and community relationships, which I can bring to this position. As sister cities coordinator, I have coordinated many exciting sister city delegation visits and projects with Obu. These include the Middle Schools visit and the Staff Exchange program, as well as visits by Obu residents and sister city displays for festivals.
In 1998, I was fortunate enough to visit Obu on the staff exchange program. Seeing the city and meeting the people firsthand taught me so much about our sister city relationship. It filled me with a great desire to see this relationship grow and reach out to more people, and I am pleased that I have the opportunity to do this through the support of both staff and the community of Port Phillip.
I liaise with Adam in Obu regularly to maintain the projects that strengthen the ties between our two communities.
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External links
Obu City English pages
www.city.obu.aichi.jp/english_guide/obu_city.htm#guide_map
Australian Sister Cities Association
www.asca.asn.au
Earthcare
home.vicnet.net.au/~earthcare/
Nagoya International Centre (English pages)
www.nic-nagoya.or.jp/english/frame_e.htm
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More information
Use eServices to ask us a question, request information or give us feedback online. If you prefer call ASSIST on (03) 9209 6777 or TTy (03) 9209 6713 and ask for Sister Cities.
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