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Nature of Tie |
Friendship City |
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Emblem |
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City |
Tottori Prefecture, Japan |
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Brief |
Tottori Prefecture is located in the western region on the main island of Honshu in the north eastern part of the Chugoku region (as it is located in the central region, it’s named “Chugoku”. The region consists of five prefectures: Okayama, Hiroshima, Yamaguchi, Shimane, and Tottori). From east to west is about 120 kilometers and from north to south is about 20-50 kilometers. The prefecture is narrower from east to west and the area of the prefecture is approximately 3,507 square kilometers and the total population is about 560,000. The northern part of Tottori Prefecture faces the Sea of Japan. The long White Sand Pine Coastline starts from the “Tottori Sand Dunes”. The southern side connects with the highest mountain Daisen in the Chugoku region and the mountain region. There is an abundance of natural landscape and sights with unique features for each season of the year. Tottori Prefecture has been named “Manga Empire” and it’s the hometown of manga authors Shigeru Mizuki of “GeGeGe no Kitarō” and Gosho Aoyama of “Detective Conan”. The friendship between Taichung City and Tottori Prefecture came about because of pear tree branches. The two parties have interacted and networked with each other in the agricultural, youth, cultural, tourism, and other sectors. Up until now, there have been sister districts (Shigang District and Misasa Town, Dadu District and Hokuei) and sister schools (Shigang Junior High School and Misasa Junior High School). Sister hot springs (Taichung Hot Springs and Misasa Onsen) have signed “Tourism Networking and Collaboration Agreement”. Tottori Prefecture has proactively participated in large events held by Taichung City. Each year, they participate in the Central Taiwan Lantern Festival and perform the “Inaba Umbrella Dance” etc. One could see representatives from Tottori Prefecture during the 2018 Taichung World Flora Exposition, the Taiwan and Japanese Tourism Summit, and the Taichung Dongshih Sindingban Festival, Taichung City and Tottori Prefecture’s friendship city agreement has lasted for 20 years under the efforts and dedication from all sectors. There has been a deep friendship so the agreement signing date was set for November 2, 2018 when Tottori Prefecture led a delegation to attend the 2018 Taichung World Flora Exposition. The agreement continues and further deepens the above mentioned collaborations and promotes the two cities’ development and prosperity, opening up all sorts of possibilities and making the collaboration even more comprehensive.
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Official Website |
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Alliance Date |
November 2, 2018 |
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Hosts |
Mayor Chia-Lung Lin |
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Location of Agreement |
Taichung City |
Nature of Tie |
Friendship City |
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Emblem |
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City |
Yamagata Prefecture, Japan |
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Brief |
Facing the Sea of Japan, Yamagata is a prefecture located in the Tohoku Region (Northeast) of Japan. Surrounded by mountains and forests on three sides and blessed with a rich natural environment, Yamagata consists of 13 cities, 19 towns and three villages. It takes about three hours to travel on the Yamagata Shinkansen (high-speed bullet train) to go to Tokyo which is 300 kilometers away. Yamagata has a population of about 1.12 million and a total area of approximately 9,325 km2, ranking the 9th among Japan’s 47 prefectures. The Prefecture is surrounded by numerous famous mountains including Zao, Gassan, Ukai, Adzuma, Iide and Asahi, etc. Mogami River, known as the mother river of Yamagata, runs from south to north through the entire prefecture passing Yonezawa, Yamagata, Shinjo basins and Shōnai plain. The natural scenery surrounding the river shifts beautifully with the changing seasons. Moreover, the Zao mountain range is located on the border between Yamagata and Miyagi Prefecture. The main mountain, Kumanodake, on the Yamagata Prefecture side is called Mount Zao which is one of the 100 famous mountains in Japan. Snow monsters resulting from falling snow and water droplets flung by strong wind in the winter freezing against the trees are a striking feature of Yamagata Prefecture, attracting many tourists. In addition, Zao mountain range consisting of a cluster of active volcanoes offers stunning snow views and ski resorts making Yamagata Prefecture home to numerous hot springs as a result of the volcanic activity. Yamagata boasts thriving agriculture, forestry and fishery. Forests account for 72% of the total area with arable land ranking the 12th largest in the nation. The prefecture enjoys four distinct seasons. High-quality rice and fruit trees are the core of production. Among its various agricultural products, both the quality and quantity of cherries top the country accounting for 70% of national total output. Additionally, the prefecture is endowed with abundant tourism resources. Famous attractions include the unique Mount Zaō’s snow monsters in the winter and the Ginzan Onsen (hot spring) which is the well-known setting for the television drama Oshin and the hot spring house in Hayao Miyazaki’s famous animation “Spirited Away”. In the south, there is the Okitama cycling route that goes across Nanyo City, Takahata and Yonezawa City. Furthermore, the Yamagata Hanagasa Festival is one of the four major festivals in the Tohoku Region, sharing the fame along with the Sendai Tanabata Festival, the Akita Kanto Festival and the Aomori Nebuta Festival. Governor Yoshimura of Yamagata visited Taichung City Government on January 19, 2018 to discuss the results of bilateral education and tourism engagements as well as share experiences in hosting international events in the hopes of deepening exchanges in areas such as tourism, culture and agriculture. The two cities share some similar characteristics, especially the bicycle industry. Yamagata has the Okitama cycling route, whereas Taichung is a major bicycle producer. In addition, Yamagata is known as the fruit kingdom, whereas Taichung boasts the nation’s highest output of peaches, persimmons, loquats and pears. Close bilateral interactions and exchanges can be mutually beneficial. Therefore, Governor Yoshimura visited Taichung in May 29, 2018, to form friendship city ties by signing a “Memorandum of Experience Sharing and Collaboration of Tourism, Culture and Economic Friendship”. |
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Official Website |
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Alliance Date |
May 29,2018 |
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Hosts |
Mayor Chia-Lung Lin |
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Location of Agreement |
Taichung City |
Nature of Tie |
Friendship City |
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Emblem |
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City |
Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province, Republic of Korea |
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Brief |
Situated in the south of South Korea, Changwon City has an area of 743.7 km2 with a population of 1.1 million. It has four distinct seasons with an average temperature of 15。C. On July 1, 2010, the cities of Changwon, Jinhae, and Masan merged to form the current city of Changwon. In April 1974, the city was designate to be a fundamental industrial city and a planned city according to South Korea’s heavy chemical and machinery-industry development strategies as well as its first planned city policy. Now Changwon has become the primary city of administration, industry, education and culture in South Gyeongsang Province. Changwon is prosperous in agriculture and industry. The Nakdong delta plain is one of the best granaries in Gyeongsangnam-do providing grains, vegetables and fruits for neighboring cities such as Busan. Onions and sweet persimmons are famous regional produce. The industries of flower and agriculture in Daesan-myeon as well as the industry of freshwater fishery in Dong-myeon are sizable in scale. Changwon is an emerging machinery-manufacturing hub featuring electrics & electronic as well as precision machinery. Many world-famous large companies including Doosan Heavy Industries & Construction and General Motors have operations here. The city is also home to electric power, material and national Defense Science Research institutes as well as more than 600 enterprise affiliated research centers. Moreover, besides the Masan Free Trade Zone, a total of 17 industrial parks are located here such as the Changwon National Industrial Park. Changwon is endowed with rich cultural heritage and scenery. The Jinhae Gunhangje Festival held during late March and early April is the largest and most famous cherry blossom celebration in South Korea. Moreover, events such as the K-Pop World Festival and the Masan Gagopa Chrysanthemum Festival all attract a large number of visitors. Changwon is committed to promoting various sports events. Changwon LG Sakers of the Korean Basketball League (KBL), NC Dinos of the Freedom Division of the Korea Baseball Futures League and Gyeongnam Football Club (Gyeongnam FC) of the KLeague all have their home stadiums in Changwon. Furthermore, the city hosted the 52nd ISSF World Shooting Championship in August 2018. Therefore, sports are very popular in this city.Taichung is the first Taiwanese friendship city of Changwon. |
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Official Website |
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Alliance Date |
April 11, 2018 |
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Hosts |
Mayor Chia-Lung Lin |
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Location of Agreement |
Changwon City |
Nature of Tie |
Friendship City |
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Emblem |
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City |
Gwangyang, South Jeolla Province, Republic of Korea |
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Brief |
The City of Gwangyang is located in the southern tip of the Korean Peninsula with an area of 462 km2 and a population of approximately 150,000. It has four distinct seasons with an average temperature of 15.4oC. Gwangyang boasts prosperous industry and commerce. Its main industries include steel, port, logistics, tourism, agricultural travel and carbon fiber, etc. The primary sector (agriculture, forestry and fishery) accounts for 12%, manufacturing 32% and the service sector 56% of the economy. Gwangyang City is the site of the second largest international port in Korea and the home to POSCO Gwangyang Steelworks, the largest steel foundry in the world. The port of Gwangyang has four types of terminals designated for containers, bulk cargo, steel products and crude oil. There are a total of 97 berths, accommodating ships up to 300,000 metric tons deadweight. The annual handling capacity of the port is 285 million tons, ranking the 16th in the world. The container terminal has 14 berths which can accommodate 18,000 TEU, with an annual throughput reaching 3.84 million TEU. POSCO produces 20.77 million tons of crude steel annually. Its products include hot-rolled steel, cold-rolled steel, steel plate, wire rod and automobile leaf-spring, etc. The annual output of steel plate amounts to 2 million tones and output of automobile leaf-spring reaches 8.3 million tons. It also produces the world’s widest 5300mm steel plate. Products of POSCO are sold to major car makers in the world such as Daimler, Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Honda and Volkswagen, etc. Furthermore, Gwangyang is also endowed with rich cultural heritage and beautiful scenery. In March and April, over 100,000 plum trees bloom in its Plum Blossom Village, the birthplace of Korea’s flower-themed festivals. Other well-known attractions of interest include Neuraengigol Natural Resort, Gubongsan Mountain Observatory , Yisunshindaegyo Bridge, and Camellia Grove of Okryongsa Temple
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Official Website |
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Alliance Date |
Nov. 14, 2017 |
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Hosts |
Mayor Chia-Lung Lin Deputy Mayor Shin Hyun Suk |
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Location of Agreement |
Taichung City |
Nature of Tie |
Friendship City |
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Emblem |
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City |
Onomichi, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan |
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Brief |
Onomichi City is located in the southeast of Hiroshima Prefecture. It is a transportation hub on the Seto Inland Sea (a sea among Honshu, Shikoku and Kyushu) coastal line. Onomichi has been prosperous as an important spot on the passage of Seto Inland Sea since ancient times. The city covers an area of 284.8 km2 and has a total population of 140,000. On average, highest temperature in the summer is 27.2oC and the lowest average temperature in winter is 5.3 oC. It is a beautiful harbor city that enjoys a warm climate with little rainfall. Onomichi has green forests in the north and Shimanami-Kaidou as well as the scenic Seto Inland Sea islands to its south. It boasts rich cultural heritage and historic sites featuring enchanting ancient architectures such as old temples. In addition, Onomichi is the starting point of the Shimanami-Kaidou in Honshu. This world-renowned bikeway that connects Onomichi city of Hiroshima with Imabari city of Ehime Prefecture was rated by CNN in 2014 as one of “the Seven Most Beautiful Bikeways in the World”. It is worth noting that there are abundant long-term care resources with nearly 300 service centers in Onomich where one in three citizens is a senior. According to the statistics of the Japan Medical Association, the penetration rates of home care, pharmacies with delivery service and care takers in this city are much higher than those of national average. The satisfaction rate of citizens to their long-term care services and senior living is as high as 80%. It is truly “a happy city of seniors”.
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Offical website |
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Alliance Date |
Sept. 29, 2017 |
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Hosts |
Mayor Chia-Lung Lin Mayor Yuko Hiratani |
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Location of Agreement |
Taichung City |
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Nature of Tie |
Friendship City |
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Emblem |
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City |
Boise, Idaho, U.S.A. |
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Brief |
The name “City of Boise” came from the earliest trap hunters who came here. They discovered this riverside full of Cottonwoods after crossing a land in drought, so they named it “Boise”, meaning “many trees” hence the place is called “City of Trees”. Boise is home to the administrative headquarter of Idaho State. With an area of 214.45 km2 and a population of approximately 220,000, it is the biggest city of Idaho and the only city in the U.S. that uses geothermal power system so far. Boise Airport is the 76th busiest airport by passenger traffic in the US. It is a cultural, commercial and financial center in the Northern Rocky Mountains and one of the fastest growing cities in the United States. Boise boasts very robust industry, commerce and hi-tech sectors. The city is home to quite a few large enterprises such as Albertsons, the second largest grocery company in North America; Micron which is the only American DRAM maker; HP which produces laser printers; and J.R. Simplot which is the second largest food processing company in the U.S. Micro Technology has a wafer foundry in the Central Taiwan Science Park. It plans to establish its global DRAM production center and semiconductor talent incubator on this site. So far Micro is the largest foreign investor in Taiwan. Furthermore, Idaho has three state universities. The biggest one with the highest admission standards, Boise State University, is also located in Boise. There are more than 200 aviation related companies in Idaho covering flight operation, maintenance, parts production and assembly, etc. Their products include small aircrafts, hydroplanes, drones, aircraft parts, thermal detector parts, and GSE, etc. Famous companies such as Aero Specialties, Inc., Aviation Specialties Unlimited, Black Sage Technologies, and QTI Sensing Solutions all have their headquarters in Boise.
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Official Website |
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Alliance Date |
Aug. 14, 2017 |
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Hosts |
Mayor Chia-Lung Lin Council President & Deputy Mayor Elaine Clegg |
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Location of Agreement |
Boise City |
Nature of Tie |
Friendship City |
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Emblem |
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City |
Ehime Prefecture, Japan |
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Brief |
Located in the northwest part of Shikoku, Ehime Prefecture was once known as Iyo Province. With the highest mountain in western Japan, Mt. Ishizuki, in the east, the prefecture faces the Seto Inland Sea to the north and Uwa Sea to the south. Covering an area of 5,676 km2, Ehime is the 26th largest prefecture in Japan and the second biggest in Shikoku. It has a total population of 1.385 million, with approximately one third of it living in Matsuyama city where the prefecture government is located. Ehime produces a wide variety of citrus fruits, with a total production topping Japan. It is called “the Orange Kingdom” because various citrus fruits can be enjoyed all year round. In addition, the output of both sea pearl and red porgy farmed in the Uwa sea is the biggest in Japan. If you ever visit Ehime, tasting the oranges and red porgy as well as buying pearl accessories as souvenirs are a must. Famous tourist attractions include the “Botchan Train”, the Matsuyama Castle built in the Edo Era, and the 3000-year-old hot spring – Dogo Onsen which was the model for the hot spring house in Hayao Miyazaki’s famous animation “Spirited Away”. One can also ride a bike on the Shimanami-Kaidou bikeway to cross over the blue ocean, or visit Uchiko Old Town and the time-honored Garyu Sanso Villa to enjoy a downshifting and leisurely journey of nature, literature and history.
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Official Website |
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Alliance Date |
June 1, 2017 |
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Hosts |
Mayor Chia-Lung Lin Governor Tokihiro Nakamura |
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Location of Agreement |
Ehime Prefecture |
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Nature of Tie |
Friendship City |
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Emblem |
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City |
Aomori Prefecture, Japan |
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Brief |
The land area of Aomori Prefecture is 9,644.55 km2, ranking the eighth largest among Japan’s 47 prefectures. As of 10/1/2016, the population is approximately 1.29 million, ranking the 31st among all prefectures in Japan. Aomori is the northernmost prefecture on Honshu, consisting of ten cities, 22 towns and eight villages. The prefecture is roughly on the same latitude as New York, Rome and Madrid. It takes an hour and 20 minutes to go to the capital, Tokyo by airplane and 3.5 hours by the bullet train. Aomori has four distinct seasons. It is surrounded by sea on three sides and the central area is mountainous with complicated terrains. In the winter, the Japan Sea side is heavily snowy while the Pacific Ocean side is mostly dry and sunny. Aomori enjoys prosperous agriculture, forestry and fishery. The total annual apple output is about half a million tons, accounting for 60% of the national total. Approximately 20,000 tons are exported. Rice and vegetables planting as well as animail husbandry also thrive here. Aomori Prefecture also boasts abundant tourism resources, including the beautiful Oirase River and the Hakkoda Mountains, a UNESCO World Heritage Site Shirakami-Sanchi, as well as historical and cultural heritage represented by Sannai-Maruyama site. Furthermore, the Nebuta Matsuri held every August across the prefecture is also a well-known festival in Japan.
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Official Website |
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Alliance Date |
Dec. 14, 2016 |
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Hosts |
Mayor Chia-Lung Lin Governor Shingo Mimura Mayor Tadayuki Nagao |
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Location of Agreement |
Taichung City |
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Nature of Tie |
Friendship City |
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Emblem |
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City |
Hirakawa, Aomori Prefecture, Japan |
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Brief |
Hirakawa City is located at 140°east and 40°north, with two towns and one village merged to become the tenth city of Aomori Prefecture on Jan. 1, 2006. The total area is 346.01km2, and total population is about 30,000 as of Mar. 31, 2016. According to the survey of Toyo Keizai INC. in 2016, Hirakawa is the most livable city in Aomori and the sixth in the Northeast (Tohoku) region of Japan. The economy of Hirakawa is primarily agricultural, with rice, apples and peaches as the predominant crops. The cold highland area produces fairly sweet highland vegetables. Its attractions are primarily in former Onoemachi, Hirakamachi and Ikarigaseki. The annual Nebuta Matsuri held on the 2nd &3rd of August in the former Hirakamachi is one of the four major festivals in Tohoku Japan. Hirakawa City is blessed with many hot springs, with the Hiraka and Ikarigaseki Hot Springs being the most well-known.
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Official Website |
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Alliance Date |
Dec. 14. 2016 |
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Hosts |
Mayor Chia-Lung Lin Mayor Tadayuki Nagao Governor Shingo Mimura |
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Location of Agreement |
Taichung City |
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Nature of Tie |
Friendship City |
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Emblem |
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City |
Cupertino, California, U.S.A. |
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Brief |
Cupertino is a U.S. city in the County of Santa Clara, situated in the south of the San Francisco Bay Area, California. It is equivalent to a county-administered city in Taiwan. Cupertino covers a land area of 33.67 km2 and its population is approximately 60,000. The city is world-renowned as a high-tech city. It is home to the headquarters of many high-tech companies, including Apple, Symantec, Verigy US, Inc., MySQL AB, Durect Corporation, and Trend Micro, etc. Cupertino is one of core Silicon Valley cities which claims to be the "heart" of Silicon Valley. Thanks to its close proximity to the high-tech industry, local schools are believed to enjoy the best industry-academia cooperation ties. The city was rated by CNN as the 27th most livable city in the U.S. and the second in California in 2012. Cupertino was incorporated in 1955. The highest body in the city government – the City Council – is made up of five members who serve overlapping, four-year terms. The council elects the mayor and vice-mayor for a term of one year. The city manager, appointed by the city council without any term limit, is the one in charge of the day–to–day administration of the city council.
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Official Website |
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Alliance Date |
Oct. 31, 2016 |
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Hosts |
Mayor Chia-Lung Lin Mayor Barry Chang |
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Location of Agreement |
Taichung City |
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Nature of Tie |
Sister City |
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Emblem |
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City |
Oita Prefecture, Japan |
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Brief |
Oita Prefecture is on the north-eastern section of the island of Kyūshū, with a total area of 6,340 square kilometers and a population of about 1.17 million. Oita is blessed with rich natural resources, boasting green mountains, blue ocean, grassland and valleys. Its hot springs are especially famous. Home of many iconic onsen (hot spring) spots such as Beppu and Yufuin, Oita Prefecture has the highest number of hot spring locations as well as the highest annual yield of hot spring water in the country. The prefecture offers a wide variety of onsen including apollinaris, mud, cold and other unique styles of bath. Oita is blessed with abundant food resources as well. Besides delicacies such as seki-aji fish, seki-saba fish, and Oita Bungo beef, there is also kabosu citrus and the shitake mushroom which won the national championship for 18 consecutive years. The prefecture is rich in well preserved historical heritages such as the Usa Jingu Shrine which is the main sanctum of hachiman shrine locations throughout the nation; the national treasure of Usuki City-Usuki Stone Buddhas; and the Rokugo Manza temples on the Kunisaki Peninsula which is famous for mountain worship. Oita holds regular events that always attract many visitors such as "the Music Festival Argerich's Meeting Point in Beppu", and" the Beppu At Month", etc.
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Official Website |
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Alliance Date |
Sep. 8. 2016 |
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Hosts |
Mayor Chia-Lung Lin Governor Katsusada Hirose |
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Location of Agreement |
Taichung City |
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Nature of Tie |
Friendship City |
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Emblem |
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City |
Gunma Prefecture, Japan |
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Brief |
Gunma Prefecture is a landlocked prefecture located at the heart of Honshu. It is approximately 100 kilometers from Japan’s capital Tokyo. Its northwest part is mountainous and on its southeast is the vast Kanto plain. The total area is about 6,362 square kilometers, of which two thirds are hilly or mountainous. With a population of two million, this flying-crane shaped prefecture consists of a total of 12 cities, 15 towns and 8 villages. Gunma is an important transportation hub in the Kanto region with a high-speed transportation network comprising the Shinkansen and the highway systems. The prefecture has the longest day light hours in the country. Blessed with rich water resources and various terrains, it is Japan’s largest producer of konjac, cabbage, and cucumber, etc. Gunma is home to more than 100 hot springs, of which the “Kusatsu Hot Springs” has the highest annual yield of hot spring water in Japan. The prefecture has a strong manufacturing sector, with the manufacturing industry ratio higher than the national average. Small and medium enterprises related to the automobile industry are the backbone of its manufacturing industry, which is also one of the important contributors to its economy.
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Official website |
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Alliance Date |
Dec. 18, 2012 (First Signed) Apr. 28, 2016 |
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Hosts |
Mayor Chih-Chiang (Jason) Hu(First Signed) Governor Masaki Osawa
Mayor Chia-Lung Lin (Renewed) Governor Masaki Osawa |
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Location of Agreement |
Taichung City |
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Nature of Tie |
Friendship City |
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Emblem |
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City |
Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada |
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Brief |
Burnaby is a city in British Columbia, Canada, located immediately to the east of Vancouver with an area of 90.61 square kilmeters and 220,000 people. It is the third-largest city in British Columbia by population, surpassed only by nearby Vancouver and Surrey. Burnaby was incorporated in 1892 and achieved City status in 1992, one hundred years after incorporation. It boasts robust industry, business and high-tech sectors. Major technology firms such as Kodak (formally Creo), Nokia, PMC Sierra, Rogers Communications, and Telus base their operations in Burnaby; heavy industry including petroleum refineries and storage facilities such as Chevron Canada, Esso, Shell, Kinder Morgan Canada (formerly Trans Mountain pipeline) have significant operations in Burnaby as well. In addition, it is the seat of Metro Vancouver's regional government. Burnaby Mayor Derek Corrigan visited Taichung with his delegation on June 8, 2007, and signed a “High-tech City Declaration” to establish links between the high-tech sectors of the two cities and to strengthen technological and economic cooperation. Mayor Corrigan also signed a “Friendship City Declaration” with Mayor Jason Hu on May 22, 2009.
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Official Website |
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Alliance Date |
May 22, 2009 |
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Hosts |
Mayor Chih-Chiang (Jason) Hu Mayor Derek Corrigan |
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Location of Agreement |
Taichung City |