Secretariat, Taipei City Government

To commemorate the fifth anniversary of the signing of the city-based tourism exchange agreement between Taipei and Hamamatsu in July 2013, on August 22, Osada Shigeki, Deputy Mayor of Hamamatsu, led a delegation that visited the Taipei City Government. Additionally, the Hamamatsu Lionet Children’s Choir and 50 members from Taipei City’s Dong-Hu Junior High School Choir delivered an anniversary concert in the courtyard of the Taipei City Government building. In addition to mesmerizing music performances, the event organizer set up booths providing Hamamatsu tourism-related information, offered free samples of eel pie (a local snack from Hamamatsu), and had Ieyasu-kun (a mascot) interact with the audience on-site. These activities enabled the public to learn more about Hamamatsu in a pleasant and enjoyable atmosphere.
To facilitate exchanges and increase the number of visitors, the two cities launched the Tourist Exchange Program during the concert. Between September 15 and December 15 of 2018, citizens from the two cities visiting the other city can receive limited-quantity gifts from the other city. Taipei will offer practical gifts including specially made EasyCards, hand-painted handbags, tourist manuals with coupons, loquat throat lozenges (manufactured by Nin Jiom Pei Pa Koa), and small lanterns. Hamamatsu will offer items including transparent bags, LED key rings, Ieyasu-kun paper tapes, badges, stickers, folders, and tourism manuals. The goals are to create fond memories of the two cities in tourists and enable tourists to bring back souvenirs, making the trips a heartwarming experience.
Chen Chin-jun, Deputy Mayor of Taipei, stated that the two cities are expected to have closer exchanges in different areas. The Tourist Exchange Program is expected to increase the frequency of interaction between citizens of both cities through mutual visits in the form of tourism. In the future, the two cities will endeavor to deepen exchanges in other aspect, such as youth exchanges.