On October 12, Takao Nagano, the former Chairman of the Osaka Prefecture Japan–Taiwan Friendship Members Alliance (JTFMA), along with Toshiaki Matsumoto, another former chairman of the JTFMA, and Toyokazu Fujiwara, a member of the Osaka Prefecture Kishiwada City Council, paid a special visit to Taiwan. In the afternoon, they visited Hsinchu County Magistrate Yang Wen-ke. Both parties exchanged views on education, tourism, culture, industry, and other topics, reaching a consensus to deepen their cooperation and work to stimulate post-pandemic prosperity and development in both Osaka Prefecture and Hsinchu County.
Magistrate Yang presented a gift of Hsinchu County’s specialty Emei Oriental Beauty Tea as a gesture of welcome, mentioning that the Hsinchu County Government has a deep friendship with Osaka. In 2016, in response to an invitation from Chairman Takao Nagano and council member Kohei Nagano, a delegation from Hsinchu County conducted an exchange in Kishiwada City. There, they had the opportunity to experience the Danjiri Festival and attended the Tsung Tsin Association of Kansai on multiple occasions.
Takao Nagano expressed hope that the friendship between Osaka and Hsinchu County will continue, and said he looks forward to more formal exchange activities in the future. Toyokazu Fujiwara is a first-term council member, and this trip marked his first visit to Taiwan. After participating in the National Day celebration, the first place he visited was Hsinchu County. He was deeply impressed by the prosperity of the local economy, the semiconductor industry, and the high birth rate in the area.
Magistrate Yang agreed that after overcoming the pandemic, there should be an increase in bilateral exchanges. He emphasized that the Hsinchu County Government values the Japanese tourism market and is striving to promote post-pandemic overseas tourism. From October 26–29, they will be at INTEX Osaka Exhibition Hall 3 for “Tourism Expo Japan 2023”, running a booth to promote the unique attractions and cuisine of Hsinchu County—including the beautiful autumn scenery of sun-dried persimmons in Xinpu Township, the serene Maitreya Buddha of Emei Lake, the stunning beauty of the ancient trees in Qalang Smangus, and recent forest exploration activities in Hsinchu County. During the event, they will also organize quick Q&A and card-flipping games, aiming to help Japanese tourists quickly understand the distinctive charm of Hsinchu County through interactive activities. Takao Nagano’s son, Kohei Nagano, is currently the Mayor of Kishiwada City. He expressed his willingness to leverage his influence and connections to actively assist in enhancing Hsinchu County’s visibility in Japan.
Magistrate Yang stated that Hsinchu County is a major center for Hakka culture in Taiwan, known for its warm and hospitable Hakka people who are very fond of making friends. Hsinchu County has engaged in exchanges and cooperation with many cities and regions, including Miyazaki Prefecture; Kochi Prefecture; Aomori Prefecture; Tottori Prefecture; Kobe City in Hyogo Prefecture; Obihiro City in Hokkaido; Ipswich City in Queensland, Australia; and Westmont City, Illinois and Santa Clara County, California in the United States. These collaborations have encompassed various aspects such as sports, culture, arts, tourism, industry, and education to promote mutual progress and prosperity. Magistrate Yang expressed his hope that in the future, there will be more opportunities for cooperation and exchanges between Hsinchu County and Osaka and between Hsinchu County and Kishiwada City.
The teachers and students from the high school division of Daohe Experimental School in Hsinchu County are planning to visit Osaka before October 30 of this year. During their trip, they will pay visits to Kindai Sensyu High School, Osaka-Seisho High School, and Murakawa Gakuen Educational Corporation in Osaka as part of an inter-school international exchange program. Takao Nagano and others visited the schools yesterday to gather information and learn more about the arrangements for this exchange.