Mayor Kazuhisa Takeuchi of Kitakyushu City, Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan, led a delegation on a first visit to Kaohsiung from July 1 to 2 to sign the Agreement to Promote City Collaboration with Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chi-mai. The two sides also witnessed the signing of the MOU for Friendly Marathon Exchange between the cities, in the presence of Director-General Masafumi Oku of the Kaohsiung Office of Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association. Mayor Chen noted that the two cities would join hands to expand substantive cooperation in areas such as smart city development, economy and trade, tourism, and sports. He affirmed that the signing of the agreement and the MOU demonstrated both sides’ shared commitment to bilateral collaboration, expressing his expectation that Kaohsiung and Kitakyushu would establish a resilient economic and strategic partnership in diverse fields, including the semiconductor industry and smart innovation.
Kitakyushu is the second-largest city in Kyushu and one of the twenty cities in Japan designated by government ordinance. With a population of about 920,000, Kitakyushu has undergone a development trajectory similar to that of Kaohsiung, as both cities were historically steel industry hubs and are now striving to transform into smart and sustainable green cities. Since 2024, Kaohsiung and Kitakyushu have maintained frequent interactions. In particular, Kitakyushu has dispatched delegations to Kaohsiung several times to attend the city’s Lantern Festival, Smart City Summit & Expo, and the popular Kaohsiung Love River Dragon Boat Festival events. In April 2025, Kaohsiung Deputy Mayor Lin Chin-rong led a delegation to Kitakyushu to exchange experiences in smart city development with Mayor Takeuchi, exemplifying the close bilateral ties between the two cities.
Mayor Chen led the city government team to give a warm welcome to Mayor Takeuchi on his first visit. He highlighted the two cities’ proactive efforts to advance collaboration in areas such as smart innovation, the semiconductor industry, tourism economy. He also affirmed both sides' efforts to attract investment from major semiconductor companies, stating that the newly signed agreement symbolizes the two cities’ determination to respond to the rapidly changing global industrial landscape through their economic and strategic partnership.
Mayor Takeuchi, visiting Kaohsiung for the first time, stated that Kaohsiung and Kitakyushu share high similarities in harbor-related industries, waterfront space, and environmental policies. He noted that, like Kaohsiung, Kitakyushu has deep roots in the steel industry but has successfully transformed into one of Japan’s pioneering cities in promoting low-carbon policies. The city has also been advancing its innovation and tourism industries. During their visit, the Kitakyushu delegation toured municipal facilities such as the Kaohsiung Music Center, the Intelligent Transportation Center, and the Kaohsiung Main Library, gaining a deeper understanding of Kaohsiung’s current development. Impressed by Kaohsiung’s innovative energy and cultural potentials, Mayor Takeuchi expressed his hope for more concrete collaboration between the two cities.
Before the conclusion of the courtesy call, both mayors took on the challenge of assembling DIY souvenir sets representing each other’s cities. Mayor Chen put together the “rocket-shaped chocolate”set designed and developed by Kyushu Institute of Technology, while Mayor Takeuchi made and sampled the Bubble Tea Delight set presented by Kaohsiung. Both mayors successfully completed their tasks and praised the creativity and deliciousness of each other’s souvenir sets, exclaiming “Oishii (delicious)!” in a vibrant atmosphere.
The Kaohsiung City Government also arranged for the Kitakyushu delegation to visit the Startup Terrace Kaohsiung, where Mayor Takeuchi personally presented his city's startup policies and investment environment, engaging enthusiastically with participating young entrepreneurs from Kaohsiung. Kaohsiung Deputy Mayor Lo Ta-sheng also attended the session and delivered remarks in support, expressing his support and hope that the Asia New Bay Area, a result of collaboration between Kaohsiung and the central government, would serve as a starting point for deeper partnership with Kitakyushu in the semiconductor, smart city, and digital innovation sectors.