Contributed photo
For 10 local residents, a recent trip to Bandai, Japan truly highlighted their “kizuna’ with Oliver’s sister city.
Kizuna means “special bond.”
It is the 25th anniversary of the relationship between Oliver and Bandai.
Making the trip on their own dime included Mayor Ron Hovanes and his wife Tara, Councillor Dave Mattes and his wife Brenda, and water councillor Andre Miller and his wife Maria.
Hovanes said Bandai is very proud of its commitment to Oliver and officials there are incredible hosts.
Everyone took part in the 25th anniversary ceremony, which included the unveiling of a granite monument commemorating the special day.
Hovanes said “kizuna” is a word seldom used in their language and it truly describes how they feel about the relationship with Oliver.
Officials took the Oliver contingent on several tours to shrines, temples, museums, a volcanic lake, boutique stores, a lacquer factory, medical centre and all of their schools.
“We had incredible Japanese food every day and we also enjoyed music and drumming,” Hovanes said.
The schools had pictures and letters of past Oliver mayors, and each student was given either a pin or a Town of Oliver pencil.
Oliver resident Garry Doll brought Oliver Elementary School T-shirts for the gym teachers.
“We also had an opportunity to meet the 10 students that came last summer. Their principal said that their wish is to come back to Oliver just one more time,” Hovanes said.
The mayor said he hopes there will be a continued adult interest to keep this relationship going. But he pointed out they want to send a youth delegation next year.
The Town of Oliver has some funds donated by individuals and the Town of Bandai to assist a student delegation. In fact, Bandai has been very generous, giving more than $7,000 to Oliver in the last few years to assist the program.
“It is important to take advantage of this long ongoing partnership that allows youth from both countries to share together,” Hovanes said. “When I see adults, many who are seasoned travellers, moved by their sister city experience, I know that our youth can only benefit from the opportunity.”
Hovanes said the mayor of Bandai handed him $3,000 in cash before they left. “You can’t say no.” This money will be used to help send the youth delegation to Japan.
The mayor said Bandai has a great mix of the “old” and the “new.” And if you ever want to see a clean city, visit Toyko, where you’ll be hard pressed to find a wad of gum on the street.
Miller said he couldn’t believe how many vending machines there are (one on every corner) in Japan.
He noted they felt two after-shocks during the first night in Hitachi City. In Tokyo they met the mayor of Bandai and enjoyed a dinner cruise in Tokyo harbor.
“The people of Bandai are extremely generous and gracious,” Miller said.
Mattes said the highlights for him included: a visit to a kindergarten class, re-uniting with kids that visited Oliver in August, and the boat trip in Tokyo Bay.
His laughs: luggage left behind by Garry Doll.
“Humour lost in translation creates it’s own humour,” Mattes said.
The councillor stated he was intrigued by the structure that controls the society in Japan, noting there is a lot of hierarchical structure embedded in the way society acts.
Lyonel Doherty
Oliver Chronicle
