Secretariat, Taipei City Government

On October 20, 2025, Taipei Deputy Mayor Wen-Te Chang visited Shizuoka, Japan, where he met with Shizuoka Mayor Takashi Namba and Shizuoka Deputy Mayor Takao Oishi. During the one-day exchange visit, the two sides exchanged views on urban development, sports facility planning, and public transportation. The goal of the visit was to deepen cooperation between the two cities.

During the meeting, Chang expressed his gratitude to Mayor Namba for taking the time to receive the delegation despite his demanding schedule and thanked the Shizuoka City Government for its warm hospitality. He noted that Taipei and Shizuoka have maintained close ties over the years, supported by a solid foundation of cooperation in urban governance and civil society exchange. Representing Taipei Mayor Wan-An Chiang, Chang also conveyed appreciation for Namba’s visit to Taipei in May of this year to attend the opening ceremony of the World Masters Games Taipei–New Taipei and the Taipei International Cities Forum, which demonstrated his support for Taipei and the strong friendship between the two cities.

In their discussion on urban development, Chang acknowledged Shizuoka’s plan to construct a domed sports stadium. He highlighted that Taipei Dome has hosted numerous international sporting events and concerts, and that Taipei City has gained valuable event operations experience. He expressed hope that both cities could continue to exchange insights on venue management and event planning. In response, Namba remarked that Shizuoka would also be sending a delegation to participate in the Taipei Marathon later this year, reflecting his expectation for deeper engagement between the two cities.

In addition, Ching-hsinn Huang, President of Taipei Rapid Transit Corporation (TRTC), joined the delegation in visiting Toshiyuki Kawai, President of Shizuoka Railway Co., Ltd. Since 2023, TRTC and Shizuoka Railway have established a friendly international partnership under a memorandum of cooperation. The two companies have since engaged in regular exchanges to share experiences in urban rail transit operations. Going forward, they plan to further deepen cooperation in both technical and operational domains.