Sister City Relationship
A Sister City relationship between Fujisawa Town Council and Duaringa Shire Council was formalised in 1993 to foster mutual understanding and goodwill between both councils and, more globally, to contribute to world peace and prosperity.
Since 1993, both councils have undergone amalgamation and afterward the newly formed Ichinoseki Council and Central Highlands Regional Council reaffirmed their commitment to continue the long-standing relationship.
The Central Highlands Regional Council firmly believes that our sister city connection with Ichinoseki City enables both communities to exchange experiences and ideas in education, culture, industry, commerce and youth.
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Student Exchange Program
Each year students and parents from the Central Highlands participate in an exchange program with peers in Ichinoseki.
Local students travel to Japan with two council chaperones in June, where they lodge in family homes.
In July, students from Ichinoseki make the journey to Australia to visit the Central Highlands and experience a home stay.
Through this program, students and parents share customs, culture and languages and form life-long friendships.
For more information on how to become involved call 1300 242 686.
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Australia Japan Friendship Park
In 2015, the Central Highlands Regional Council resolved to construct an Australian-themed all abilities playground in Ichinoseki to signify our strong sister city bond and reciprocate the Japanese gardens and seminar house built by the former Fujisawa City Council in Blackwater in 1998.
The project provided an opportunity for the exchange of ideas, work practices and products between Australia and Japan, strengthening future international trade.The Australia Japan Friendship Park features an Australian-designed and manufactured wheelchair accessible Devine Liberty Swing – the first of its kind installed in Japan – as well as a flying fox, springers, a fort and an excavator.
The playground and a separate barbecue area were both opened in October 2015.
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Kite Day
The Kite Day tradition was established in 2011 after a devastating earthquake in Japan and the Central Highlands’ major flood event.
Each year kites are flown in both towns simultaneously to remember those who lost homes and loved ones.
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International Linear Collider
The International Linear Collider (ILC) is a proposed linear accelerator to be built in a 30km long linear underground tunnel.
This experimental facility will force electrons and positrons to collide head on in the middle of the tunnel. It is expected to reveal insights into the creation of the universe, time and space, and the mystery of mass itself by recreating the Big Bang.
The southern Kitakami Highlands, an area which includes our Japanese sister city Ichinoseki, is the favoured candidate site for the ILC to be constructed due to it’s stable granite bedrock free from active fault lines. Since electrons and positrons are tiny invisible particles, a stable bedrock free of vibration is required when forcing them to collide accurately.
This short video offers a great explanation of how the ILC will work:
