Off to Asia

First stop I’ll be attending the 2023 World Cities Summit and Mayor Forum. It will be a great opportunity to connect with other Mayors from all over the globe and learn a thing or two about how different cities operate.

While in Korea I’ll also be visiting the Korean Polar Research in Incheon. I’m sure there will be a lot to take in, especially with Christchurch as a gateway to the ice.

What I’m most looking forward to is the opportunity to visit two more of our Sister Cities after having such a successful trip to Seattle earlier this year.

We’re stopping in on our Sister Cities Songpa-Gu in South Korea and Kurashiki in Japan. In Songpa-Gu I’ll be heading to the opening of the Hanseong Baekje Cultural Festival which celebrates the history and culture of the Hanseong era of Baekje dynasty with traditional music and food.The visit also coincides with a citizen’s delegation visiting Japan to mark the 50th anniversary of our Sister City relationship with Kurashiki. We have a strong and active relationship with Kurashiki with regular student exchange between cities which is so valuable.

My final stop, one of the most important, will be to Toyama to lay a wreath in memory of those young people who lost their lives in the 22 February 2011 earthquake.

There’s a lot on the itinerary and I can’t wait.