Skip to content

City celebrates 30th anniversary of twin city relationship with Morioka, Japan

The City of Victoria and its twin city Morioka, Japan rung in its 30th anniversary with a symbolic gift at Centennial Park Tuesday.

The City of Victoria and its twin city Morioka, Japan rung in its 30th anniversary with a symbolic gift at Centennial Park Tuesday.

In celebration of three decades of interactions between the two cities, patrons of the Morioka Victoria Friendship Society gifted a bell called the Bell of Friendship to reflect the significant support and financial aid that residents in Victoria donated during the time of the Great East Japan earthquake and tsunami in March 2011.

The two cities also renewed the twinning agreement, which has included visits and a series of cultural and sporting exchanges, school exchanges and home stay programs with School District 61, and other interactions to strengthen economic and community development.

Six delegates from the Japanese city, including Mayor Hiroaki Tanifuji came for the celebration.

The twinning of the cities developed after the 50th anniversary of the death of Dr. Nitobe, a respected Japanese diplomat and philosopher who was born in Morioka, but who died in Victoria in 1933.

Victoria is Morioka's only twin city.