 Japan Study Tour 2013,
Tokyo and Nagasaki - applying and information
Nagasaki
Prefecture is located at the westernmost point of the Japanese
archipelago, and is considered locally and in the wider region to be a
vibrant focal point for international exchange, developing extensively
from the resources of the local area and its skilled population.
Nagasaki
Prefectural Government aims to expand the number of visitors to the
area from within the region, from elsewhere within Japan and from
overseas, through investment in the regional transport systems, such as
the Nagasaki Harbour International Tourism Wharf and the JR Kyushu
shinkansen (bullet train) West Kyushu route, as well as taking
advantage of its diverse history and cultural resources.
Implementation
areas have been designated by the government for a comprehensive urban
regeneration redevelopment plan in the designated “Nagasaki Central
Area” and “Coastal Region”, with the “Plan for Development of the Urban
and Residential Environment” comprised of grand design elements for
urban development. It was set in place jointly by the government
of Nagasaki Prefecture and Nagasaki City Council in March 2010.
Currently being progressed is focus on advancing the areas for
development identified in the adopted plan.
Further
to this, Nagasaki Prefecture, has a rich natural environment and
resources, in the forests and the oceans, to support the creation
of new eco-tech companies in the region, such as the solar energy
industry; research and the development of technology clusters is
progressing well in conjunction with universities in the area.
In
taking advantage of the rich natural environment to support the
creation of next generation energy industries and a new technology base
within the prefecture, industry aims to build a social system with
investment in measures against global warming, working for the
promotion of environmental protection, such as the use of renewable
energy and the introduction of energy-saving technology.
In
the Goto Islands in the western part of the prefecture, electric cars
and an intelligent transport system have been put into place to form the
“Nagasaki EV&ITS Project”, with the introduction of 140 EV
(electric vehicle) recharging facilities, information centers, a
networked system, and is in the planning stage of the initiative with
full scale operation starting within this financial year.
 As
well as high tech investment, the area has many cultural and historical
resources making it a popular tourist destination. During the
16th century, Catholic missionaries and traders from Portugal arrived
and became active in Hirado and Nagasaki, which became a major center
for foreign trade. Today, Nagasaki has a prominent Chinatown and
Catholic churches - and the Churches and Christian Sites in Nagasaki
have been proposed for inscription on the UNESCO World Heritage
List. There are particularly strong links with Scotland with the
Glover Garden, built for Thomas Blake Glover, the Scottish entrepreneur
who contributed to the modernisation of Japan in shipbuilding, coal
mining, and many other fields, and his relationship with a local woman
is said to be the inspiration for Puccini's Madame Butterfly. In the
gardens stands the Glover Residence, the oldest Western style house
surviving in Japan and Nagasaki's foremost tourist attraction.
2013 also marks 400 years of UK-Japan relations with the English East
India Company who arrived in Japan in summer 1613, and an exchange of
gifts between King James VI & I and the Shogun.
For
this year’s Japan Study Tour, Nagasaki Prefecture and JLGC are looking
to recruit people working in related areas within UK and EU local
government and related leading initiatives for this 10 day tour on
strategy to promote future business, renewable energy, environmental
protection, urban regeneration, as well as presenting the real
conditions and issues common to Japan’s regions and cities.
The
tour held every year aims to foster a deeper understanding of Japan,
its culture and system of local government, and encourage the exchange
of ideas and information. It is an ideal opportunity for senior
officers from local government and related organisations in the United
Kingdom and European Union. The tour has seen over 300
participants from all areas of UK and EU public service, including
staff working in senior management roles, and is opportunity to network
with likeminded professionals in the context of public policy from an
international perspective.
The tour starts every year with
a visit to the Council of Local Authorities for International Relations
(CLAIR) in Tokyo where participants will learn about the relationships
between central and local government in Japan. Participants also
have the opportunity to experience a short home stay with a Japanese
family and visit a number of famous local sites. All
accommodation, travel and food expenses in Japan during the tour will
be covered by CLAIR, but participants must bear the cost of the flight
between the UK and Japan.
The tour is scheduled for 3 to 13 February 2013.
For more information and for
applications contact Japan Local Government Centre, London, via email to
Communications Manager Keith Kelly (kelly@jlgc.org.uk) or call 020 7839
8500
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