Sister City Update
A digital video has been produced by Lee Kennedy of Studiocraze in Rockingham, from a Grant provided by the City of Rockingham to produce a DVD of our Sister City, Ako. View the Ako YouTube Video or Ako YouTube with Japanese Subtitles.
Ako, Japan - August 2008
Kolbe Catholic College is hosting a delegation of 10 students and five teachers from our Sister City Ako, Japan in August 2008 for a ten day visit.
Along with this visit, local families from the City of Rockingham are acting as host families during the students visit and the students stayed with the families during their stay to enjoy life within our City as part of normal family life here in Rockingham.
As part of this visit, the City of Rockingham invited the delegation to a dinner at the Council reception room on their arrival on Saturday 09th. This was to be an exciting time as the Ako students and host families had not as yet met!
We were honoured to have the Japanese Consulate General to Perth, Mr Torao Sato and Mrs Keijo Sato attend the function and also attending were the Mayor, Councillor Barry Sammels and his wife Karen, Councillor Joy Stewart, the Principal of Kolbe Catholic College Mrs Caroline Payne and Mr Payne, several Freeman of the City, past and present members of the Sister City Committee, the Ako Teachers and host parents and children of the students.
It was understood that the Ako students and probably the host students and their families were a bit nervous prior to the dinner, not having met each other up to this point. As can be seen by the photos below though, within a very short time, firm friendships had been formed and all were looking forward to the all too short ten days of the visit ahead. Download full article and photographs.
Delegation from Ako, Japan to
City of Rockingham – March 2008
The City of Rockingham recently hosted a delegation from our Sister City, Ako, Japan. We have been sister cities for some 11 years now and have hosted each other on many occasions. In March this year a delegation from the city of Ako consisting of 2 Local Government Officers and a dance group numbering 17, the ‘Deshon Dancers’, visited the City of Rockingham, Western Australia.
The Deshon Dancers are a group of mostly elderly residents who perform traditional Japanese dance and Rockingham was fortunate to have the group perform for us on four occasions during their visit.
In late 2007 the City of Rockingham Children’s Choir visited Ako and performed on many occasions and this favour was returned when the Deshon Dancers performed at Waikiki Primary School along with Rockingham Children’s Choir where they were hosted to dinner by the students. The evening was very successful with the students very much enjoying the dancing and joining in. In fact the night went so well, the delegation left an hour later than anticipated!
The timing of the delegation was also very good as it coincided with the ‘Harmony Week’ celebrations and the Dancers were able to perform along with many other groups, adding to the multicultural festivities and helped highlight the Sister City relationship to the community during this special time.
The group, who as mentioned are largely elderly, were also good enough to perform at the City of Rockingham’s ‘Autumn Centre’, the City’s over-55 facility. This performance was also well received and showed many of our elderly a new dimension to ‘growing old gracefully’.
Students studying the Japanese language at Kolbe Catholic College also hosted the delegation to lunch and the students were lucky enough to have them attend a class where the students were tasked with asking each of the Ako visitors certain questions (in Japanese) and compiling this information.
They will then be tasked with writing the information in the Japanese language as part of their learning process. It was a valuable lesson meeting people directly from the place they are studying and the students and delegates had a wonderful time getting to know each other.
The Deshon Dancers have their own website (although it is in Japanese) and can be found at: http://www.geocities.jp/ako_deesyon_etuki/index.html
For more information on the City of Ako visit http://www.city.ako.hyogo.jp/english/index.html.
