You are invited! Come join us for an evening of cultural exchange with the members of the Unukupukupu hula group and residents of Yurihama tomorrow, Monday (7/9), at Hawai Aloha Hall from 7:00pm (doors open at 6:30pm).
The exchange event is free to attend and no registration required~ so feel free to stop on by and enjoy the festivities! Hope to see you there!
The Yurihama International Friendship Association (YIFA) holds events throughout the year aimed at promoting cross-cultural understanding. This February, YIFA invites you to come and enjoy a traditional Chinese tea ceremony led by Ms. Shu Koushin at the Enchoen Chinese Garden.
Instructor Ms. Shu Koushin
Location Enchoen Chinese Garden (565-1 Hikiji, Yurihama)
Date Sunday, February 18, 2018
Time Class A: 1:30 – 2:30pm Class B: 3:00 – 4:00pm
Fee YIFA Member 300円 Non-Member 500円
Inquiries & Application to Attend
Yurihama Town Planning Division
TEL: 0858-35-5311
E-mail: juliannak@yurihama.jp (Coordinator for International Relations)
The Yurihama International Friendship Association (YIFA) hosted an international exchange event featuring a presentation by special Indonesian guests at Café ippo on Sunday, March 6, 2016. Living in Japan as part of their company’s training program, the guests have spent the past several months learning about Japanese language and culture in addition to their technical studies.
Attendees were treated to an introduction to Indonesia, learning about its geography, customs, and lifestyle. The lecture also introduced common dishes, such as mie goreng, ayam goreng, and gado gado, and various famous sites, including the Kraton and the Borobudur and Prambanan temples. The guests also shared a bit about their experiences in Japan and a hopeful message of peace and mutual understanding beyond country borders and cultural differences. The event was followed by friendly chatting and exchange.
☆If you are interested in learning more about YIFA, please do not hesitate to contact the Coordinator for International Relations at the Yurihama Town Office (TEL: 35-5311). Everyone is welcome to join- regardless of nationality or Japanese ability!☆
Hawaii County and Yurihama first established their sister city relationship in 1996, and have worked to develop a strong friendship through cultural exchange, a junior high school student homestay exchange program, and various other projects and events. This year marks the 20th anniversary of that sister city relationship, and as part of the celebrations a commemorative tree planting ceremony was held on Thursday, February 18th, 2016, at Liliuokalani Gardens, which is a Japanese-style garden off of the island of Hawaii’s Hilo Bay.
The ceremony was attended by Hawaii County Mayor Billy Kenoi and Yurihama Mayor Masamichi Miyawaki, as well as representatives from both Hawaii County and Yurihama’s legislative councils and chambers of commerce and industry. It was a lovely ceremony, with a blessing that as the black pine planted grows, so too would the friendship and exchange between Hawaii County and Yurihama, after which those in attendance each had the opportunity to scoop soil onto the base of the tree.
If you have the chance to visit Hilo, I hope you take the time to see this symbol of friendship between Hawaii County and Yurihama and enjoy the tranquility of Liliuokalani Gardens.
皆さんは「湯梨浜町国際交流協会(YIFA)」をご存知でしょうか? 英語では「Yurihama International Friendship Association」といいます。YIFAでは、さまざまな国の人々や文化に触れることで、幅広い分野での国際交流や相互理解を積極的に推進しています。私も会員の一人として、皆さんにどんどん参加していただきたいと思い、このコーナーでYIFAの活動をご紹介することにしました。
On April 28th, Yurihama hosted a commemorative tree-planting ceremony at Tōgō Hawai Seaside Park as part of the US-Japan Friendship Blossoms Dogwood Initiative. This initiative is a project by a public-private partnership between the U.S. Department of State and the US-Japan Bridging Foundation to plant 3,000 dogwood trees across Japan over the course of 3 years (starting in 2012) in commemoration of the gift of 3,000 cherry blossom trees gifted to the U.S. in 1912. The dogwood trees planted through this historic initiative will serve as a symbol of the lasting and strong friendship between the U.S. and Japan.
Attendees included the Consul for Public Affairs and Director of the Kansai American Center at the U.S. Consulate General in Osaka-Kobe Mr. Keith Lommel, Governor Hirai, Mayor Miyawaki, members of the Yurihama Town Council, as well as members of the local community. With beautiful weather and a festive atmosphere, there was an adorable taiko performance by Yurihama Elementary School’s taiko group and a dance to “Ku`u Hoaloha (My Friend)” by Yurihama High School’s hula dance club as opening entertainment for the event. Accompanied by Yurihama’s celestial maiden character, Yuririn, kindergartener’s from Hawai Kodomo-en Kindergarten also gave a celebratory hula dance performance prior to the tree-planting.
Through efforts including exchanges between the Chambers of Commerce and Industry and the junior high school student homestay program with Yurihama’s sister-city of Hawaii County (Hawaii), as well as its annual Hawaiian Festival, Yurihama has continually actively strived to promote international exchange and understanding. Considering such efforts, Yurihama was selected to receive 67 dogwood trees. The trees were planted in 5 locations around the perimeter of Lake Tōgō and are meant to be enjoyed by all, so I hope that everyone who walking by the lake or playing at the parks will enjoy the future blossoms of this symbol of friendship.