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Kanuma City, Japan - Our Sister City
Kanuma City is a community of 103,178 people located approximately 100 kilometres north of Tokyo, in Tochigi Prefecture.
Kanuma has enjoyed a special relationship with the Armidale District since 1995 when initial links were forged between Kanuma City Council, the former Dumaresq Shire Council and Duval High School, which has hosted regular visits from student groups from Kanuma since that time.
Kanuma’s major economic activities include agriculture (rice and fruit production), flower propagation and timber-related industries, as well as a range of enterprises and service industries befitting a City of its size.
The Kanuma City Council is led by Mayor Shin Sato, Deputy Yasuyuki Fukuda and Deputy Hideo Miyamoto.
In common with other Japanese Local Governments, Kanuma City is responsible for a wide range of functions, including education, public housing, child and aged care, police and fire services, as well as the broad range of services provided by Councils in Australia. Kanuma City Council has over 780 staff and an annual budget of over $485 million.
Since the amalgamation, Armidale Dumaresq Council has maintained and strengthened the relationship. A contingent of staff and students from Duval High school and Council staff member, Mrs Margaret Schumacher, visited Kanuma City in October 2006.
Twenty Kanuma Students and four Supervisors visited Armidale in October 2008. Students, Teachers and Staff from Uralla Central School, Armidale Waldorf School, Armidale City Public School, the New England Girls School and Duval High School participated in the visit.
Two English Teachers, Susan Smith and Callan Robinson are currently teaching English in Kanuma for the Kanuma Board of Education. They liaise with Council's Sister City Coordinator, Margaret Schumacher regarding the relationship and exchanges.
For additional information, visit Kanuma City website - Please note that the official website is in Japanese. Try Babel Fish for translation of site into English. Simply copy the Kanuma website address - http://www.city.kanuma.tochigi.jp/ into Babel Fish for an "approximate" translation.
Contact details
Margaret Schumacher
02 6770 3856 (ph)
02 6772 9275 (fax)
mschumacher@armidale.nsw.gov.au
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