Canberra - Nara Sister City "Toku" Monument. Canberra, ACT, AUSTRALIA - Sister City Monuments on Waymarking.com

Canberra – Nara Sister City
An 8 metre high pagoda made from pre-rusted steel plates was unveiled at the Canberra Nara candle festival on 18 September 2010.
The new artwork. Toku, celebrates Canberra’s sister-city relationship with the Japanese city of Nara and references Nars’s well known five storey pagoda erected in 725 by the Empress Komyoh.
Shinki Kato’s Toku was selected from a shortlist of five concepts chosen by a panel. The work had to signify an arrival point from Canberra into the park, promote Japanese contemporary culture and expose Canberran’s and visitors to “high quality public art”. The commissioning of the artwork coincided with the renaming of the Canberra Nara park to the Canberra Nara Peace Park in May 2010.
A small ceramic bird on the lower left of the pagoda represents the Latham Snipe, a migratory bird that travels each year from Japan to the Jerrabomberra wetlands, in Canberra, and is a potent symbol of the friendship that exists between Canberra and Nara.

Source : Canberra Times 18 September 2010


Historical Background

The Canberra Nara relationship has a long history, with the first of many exchanges occurring almost three decades ago. A grassroots movement involving a number of key individuals and organisations in Nara and Canberra evolved to become a formal sister city relationship between the ACT Government and the Nara Municipal Government in 1993.

A key person instrumental in the first contact between Canberra and Nara was Father Tony Glynn, an Australian Marist Brothers Priest who lived in Nara following the Second World War. His tireless efforts helped to establish the foundations for future exchange. Father Glynn was highly regarded by the Nara community. Upon his death in 1994, a group of Nara citizens made a film about his life and work and a memorial hall was built in his name.

The genesis of community ties between Canberra and Nara were through school-to-school exchange programs. These ties swiftly broadened to include a wide variety of exchanges. Today a vibrant relationship with Nara exists with links between schools, cultural and sporting organisations, Rotary clubs, professional associations, businesses and government.

Signing of the Proclamation

The sister-city relationship was proposed and sponsored by the ACT Chamber of Commerce and Industry, in conjunction with the Nara Chamber of Commerce. It was considered fitting that Canberra, Australia’s newest and one of the world’s youngest capital cities should be twinned with Nara, one of Japan’s oldest capital cities.

Citizens representing both cities lobbied to bring about the sister city relationship including Mr Ryuji Sakamoto of the Nara Chamber of Commerce and Mr John Louttit of the ACT & Region Chamber of Commerce & Industry.

The official proclamation was signed by Chief Minister Rosemary Follett, on 26 October 1993. The proclamation was formalised the following year when Yasunori Ohkawa, Mayor of Nara, led a delegation of 140 Nara officials and citizens to Canberra, to formally sign the agreement to twin the two cities.

Canberra Nara Sister City Relationship

In the ensuing years the cities of Canberra and Nara have further strengthened their relationship through a variety of exchange activities. This has included community activities such as youth soccer and basketball exchanges, touch football exhibitions, an active teacher and student exchange program and exchanges in cultural, business, professional and other fields. There has also been an active program of community events.

The sister-city relationship has seen several milestones in its decade and a half. One notable milestone was the creation of the Canberra-Nara Park in Lennox Gardens. The citizens of Nara raised $100,000 for the development of the park, as well as constructing and shipping over two of the largest stone lanterns ever made in Japan. These lanterns, together with a large wooden gate feature prominently in the park. The then ACT Chief Minister Ms Kate Carnell and Deputy Mayor of Nara Mr Hiromu Kiriki officially opened Canberra Nara Park on 9 October 1999.

2003 marked the relationship’s 10th anniversary. A large delegation of Nara’s citizens attended, and events included a fun-run, Civic reception and cultural performances. The celebrations also included the first Candle Festival, which has since become an annual and very popular event.

Also in 2003, in the wake of the Canberra bushfires of that year, the Nara City Government and Nara City Council very generously donated $150,000 to the ACT Bushfire Appeal. The donation, which included contributions from local citizens, was a testament to the goodwill and depth of the relationship. During the 10th anniversary celebrations, a plaque expressing thanks from the citizens of Canberra was unveiled in the Canberra Nara Park

Twin Cities / Sister Cities: Canberra. ACT. AUSTRALIA Nara. Japan Address: Canberra - Nara Peace Park Flynn Drive Canberra 2600 Text: Toku was commissioned to celebrate the 1300th anniversary of Japan's ancient capital Nara. the sculpture has three main elements : A five storied pagoda form which represents Canberra, a floating stone representing Nara and the form of a small bird symbolising peace. the bird resembles a Latham's Snipe, a species which migrates annually between Japan and Canberra. The artist has created Toku to express the amicable relationship and mutual understanding shared by the Canberra and nara as sister cities. Launched on 18 September 2010 by Jon Stanhope, MLA, Chief Minister [of the ACT] and Minister for the Arts and Heritage

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