Sister cities shape global citizens

The opportunity for Japanese students to visit Bunbury on a sister city exchange has been labelled 'prestigious' as a group left the South West earlier this week.

Sixteen children and five adults from Setagaya spent six days in Bunbury after being selected for the annual sister city student exchange tour.

According to Japan's 2010 census, Setagaya was the most populous of Tokyo's 23 special wards and was home to more than 800,000 people.

Bunbury City Council international relations senior officer Isabell Evans said the high population meant students were "extremely lucky" to be selected for the Bunbury exchange.

"There are over 60 elementary, or primary, schools in Setagaya and so it is only once every four years that a school has the opportunity to select and send one student on the tour," she said.

"Because of this, the tour commands a level of prestige in Setagaya and the children that do come are exemplary students and consider themselves extremely lucky."

During their visit, they spent time in homestay accommodation, visited attractions such as the Dolphin Discovery Centre, Bunbury Wildlife Park and Forrest Park miniature railway and also visited Bunbury Catholic College plus Capel and Cooinda primary schools.

In a first, they also spent time with Carey Park Scouts and Miss Evans said the sister city relationship had a number of benefits for students.

"The annual student goodwill visits showcase the greatest benefits of sister city relationships, that being cultural understanding, friendship, language development and, with the tour being student-focused, the shaping of future global citizens," she said.

"The tour commands a level of prestige in Setagaya and the children that do come are exemplary students and consider themselves extremely lucky" - Isabell Evans