Date： 2023-07-22
Kaohsiung City has long been committed to promoting urban diplomacy, continuously deepens Taiwan-Japan friendship, and officially establishes a friendly city relationship with Sado City of Niigata Prefecture, Japan. Deputy Mayor Charles Lin of Kaohsiung City led a delegation to Sado to participate in the Return Ceremony of the Plaster Bust of Yamamoto Teijiro and Unveiling Ceremony of the Recast Bronze Statue of Yamamoto Teijiro as well as the Exchange Activities. On July 22, 2023, the alliance ceremony between the two cities was held at the Sado Central Cultural Hall. Under the witness of the Representative Frank Hsieh of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in Japan, Sado City Council Speaker Kazuyoshi Kondo, and hundreds of Sado’s residents present, the Friendship Agreement between Kaohsiung and Sado was formally signed. In the future, the two cities will deepen cooperation and exchanges in various fields such as tourism, culture, and education.
Deputy Mayor Lin stated that Kaohsiung and Sado were connected by the friendship bridge built by Mr. Yamamoto Teijiro, an important promoter of the construction of the modern sugar refinery in Kaohsiung. Mr. Yamamoto, who hailed from Sado, was also a key figure in the modernization of Kaohsiung. In commemoration of Mr. Yamamoto's contributions to the sugar industry in Taiwan, a bronze statue was erected in front of the Qiaotou Sugar Refinery. Subsequently, due to certain circumstances, the statue was relocated to Mr. Yamamoto's hometown of Sado. Last year, with the assistance of Sado, the statue returned to Kaohsiung and was reinstalled at the Qiaotou Sugar Refinery. To allow Sado’s residents to continue to commemorate Mr. Yamamoto, a replica of the statue recast by Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts, returned to Sado's Mano Park on July 22, 2023.
Deputy Mayor Lin indicated that “The friendship between the two cities has deepened due to the anecdote of the bronze statue. Following the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding for Friendly Exchange and Cooperation in 2022, interactions between the two cities have gradually increased, reaching consensus to expand the scope of exchanges. With the unveiling of the recast replica bronze statue in Sado, the friendship between the two cities, spanning a century and 2,700 kilometers apart, is formally sealed as friendly cities.
During his speech, Sado Mayor Watanabe Ryugo responded by acknowledging the wonderful bond created by Mr. Yamamoto, which has strengthened the relationship between Kaohsiung and Sado. He hopes that in the future, starting with culture and tourism, exchanges can occur in various fields between Kaohsiung and Sado, and he looks forward to deepening the friendly relationship with Taiwan.
Representative Hsieh stated that the bronze statue of Mr. Yamamoto has opened up cultural exchanges between Kaohsiung and Sado. Especially last year, Sado City also held the Products Expo in Kaohsiung, facilitating extensive exchanges between the citizens of both cities. It is hoped that after the signing of the Friendship Agreement between the two cities, cooperation can be expanded to more areas such as education and tourism.
Deputy Mayor Lin expressed special thanks to the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in Japan for their assistance in the transfer of the bronze statue and for facilitating the advancement of exchanges between the two cities. To commemorate the alliance with Sado, the Kaohsiung City Government specially customized a commemorative picture with flipped text on the theme of Kaohsiung and Sado. It symbolizes that the cultural foundation of both cities is rooted in similar maritime cultures, leading to the development of distinct cultural characteristics and fostering mutual understanding and inseparable friendship. After Kaohsiung and Sado established friendly cities, there are now a total of 37 sister, friendly and partner cities. Through substantial exchanges and interactions with cities around the world, Kaohsiung is fully integrated with the international community.