Secretariat, Taipei City Government

On the afternoon of August 4, Taipei Mayor Wan-An Chiang received a delegation led by Shojiro Hiranuma, a member of Japan’s House of Representatives and Director of the Liberal Democratic Party’s Youth Division. The two sides exchanged views on political participation by young people, startup industry policies, and sports exchanges between Taiwan and Japan.

In his remarks, Mayor Chiang welcomed Director Hiranuma and the delegation to Taipei City Hall and expressed his condolences to those affected by the recent major earthquake in Kumamoto. Mayor Chiang also expressed his regret that three delegation members from Kumamoto had been unable to make the trip because of the disaster and asked the delegation to convey the Taipei City Government’s concern and support. He added that the Taipei City Fire Department had prepared search-and-rescue supplies and was ready to provide all possible assistance. He noted that the Taipei City Government had long worked to promote substantive cooperation with Japan in various fields. In April 2026, Taipei’s Department of Information Technology and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government signed a memorandum of understanding on digital cooperation, laying the groundwork for stronger exchanges in artificial intelligence. In addition, in developing its smoke-free city policy, Taipei drew on Tokyo’s experience with negative-pressure smoking rooms. Through these efforts, the city hoped to work with its Japanese counterpart to create a healthier environment for the public.

Director Hiranuma thanked Mayor Chiang for taking the time to meet with the delegation and expressed his sincere appreciation for Taipei City Government’s warm hospitality during his visit to Taiwan in May. He was also deeply grateful that Mayor Chiang had promptly expressed his condolences after the Kumamoto earthquake. Director Hiranuma explained that he had brought Youth Division officials from across Japan to Taipei in the hope that substantive face-to-face dialogues would deepen the close relationship between Taiwan and Japan.

During the meeting, Mayor Chiang and the delegation exchanged views on multiple topics, including political participation by young people, startups, and sports. When Satoshi Okayama, a representative from Yamaguchi Prefecture, sought advice for young people entering politics, Mayor Chiang encouraged aspiring young politicians by quoting the saying, “Intelligence is a gift; kindness is a choice.” He urged aspiring young politicians to remain true to their convictions when confronting political challenges and to make choices that serve the public interest. In response to Hokkaido representative Yusaku Hayashi’s interest in startup policy, Mayor Chiang cited the Taipei City Government’s Global Pass (entrepreneur passport) Program and its success in attracting NVIDIA to establish a major regional presence in Taipei as examples of how local governments can encourage startup development.

Kozawa, a representative from Toyama Prefecture, announced that scheduled direct flights between Taipei and Toyama would officially resume later in August and presented Mayor Chiang with a handball manufactured in Toyama. Mayor Chiang, who played handball in elementary school, expressed his surprise and appreciation. He added that Taipei was working to establish itself as a “city of sports” and looked forward to further exchanges with Japan in basketball, baseball, and other sports.