Japanese Visitors in Medway Celebrate 75th Anniversary

The memorial as it is today

His Worship, the Mayor of Medway, Cllr David Royle and representatives from the Japanese Embassy, the Japanese Local Government Centre in London, and a Japanese business based in Gillingham were the guests of Cllr Sue Haydock, Honorary Mayor of Yokosuka and Chairman of the Japan Group of Medway Council’s International Relations Committee at a special dinner to celebrate the 75^th anniversary of the unveiling of the William Adams Clock Tower Memorial in The Boulevard, Gillingham on Monday, the 19th of October, 2009.

Mr. Daisuke Otsuka, First Secretary (Political), Embassy of Japan, Mr. Eiji Yamaguchi, Deputy Director of the Japan Local Government Centre, London, and Mr. Hiroshi Kamei, Finance Director of Hochiki Europe (UK) Ltd. joined with past Mayors and Mayoresses of Gillingham, members of the International Relations Committee, and members of the Japan Group, at the Honourable Pilot, Will Adams Way, to mark the occasion, and view of display of historical press cuttings taken at the time.

A touch of the orient – final touches to friendship garden

From Gateshead Council News, October/November 2009:

A new friendship garden celebrating the 20-year relationship between Gateshead and its twin city Komatsu in  apan, received some finishing touches last month.

Ten gardeners from Komatsu City worked with council gardeners to create a traditional Japanese garden featuring a stone pond and waterfall, where water is represented by gravel.

Toyota-Derbyshire: 10th Anniversary of the Twinning Links

Toyota City Council have released a very detailed and colourful account of all the activities undertaken between Toyota and Derbyshire in 2008, the 10th year of the formal twinning arrangement. It can be downloaded directly from the Toyota City Council website here.

North East Celebrates Japanese Links

The North East has been celebrating 150 years of trade between the UK and Japan with a ceremony hosted by the Association of North East Councils and the Consulate General of Japan in Edinburgh.

Delegates from across the region met on Monday 22 June for the event in Saltwell Park, Gateshead to mark the occasion and further strengthen existing links.

There are over 50 Japanese inward investors in the North East. Significantly, 1986 saw major investments for the region with the opening of the Nissan car plant in Sunderland and the Komatsu Plant in Gateshead.

2009 Japan-UK Local Links Conference

10 March 2009
Embassy of Japan in the UK, London
On March 10 2009 representatives from 15 UK local authorities and local government-related organisations, plus a number of representatives from UK-based Japanese organisations convened at the Embassy of Japan in London to discuss issues around local authority links between the UK and Japan.

Japanese traditions help toast ten years of twinning

24 November 2008: Traditional Japanese arts such as flower arranging and dance helped celebrate ten years of twinning.

Civic dignitaries from Toyota City visited Derbyshire County Council’s county hall headquarters to mark the twinning anniversary.

William Adams Festival, Gillingham

Michio Hemmi, Cllr Susan Haydock, Satoko, Jon, Nayuko Hemmi

William Adams, the ‘Blue-eyed Samurai’, otherwise known in Japan as ‘Miura Anjin’, which translates as ‘The Honourable Pilot’, was born in Gillingham on 24th September 1564.  He was baptised in St. Mary Magdalene Church, Gillingham.  He was shipwrecked in Japan in 1600 and was saved from death by the local warlord who recognised his skills in ship building and navigation.  He went on to show the Japanese how to build Western-style ships, and became, in effect, the father of the Japanese navy and much respected and revered in Japan.  This connection led to the linking of Gillingham with Ito and Yokosuka as sister cities.

Last year Medway Council held its 7th William Adams’ Festival to celebrate the historic links between Gillingham and Japan. 

Making musical links from east to west

A Matlock school was filled with the traditional music of Japan to help celebrate the tenth anniversary of twinning between Derbyshire and Toyota city.

Traditional Japan takes root in Derbyshire

04 June 2008: Green fingered pupils at Aldercar Community Language College are working hard to chill out.
The pupils are working with specialist designer Glenn Joachim to plan a calming Zen garden in their school grounds.