On the afternoon of October 23, Taoyuan City Mayor Chang San-Cheng attended the “Sister City Agreement Signing Ceremony between Taoyuan City and Tsukuba Mirai City, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan,” where he and Mayor Hiroshi Odagawa of Tsukuba Mirai officially established a sister city relationship. Mayor Chang noted that Tsukuba Mirai is Taoyuan’s 37th sister city and the fourth to sign such an agreement since he took office. The two cities plan to engage in deeper exchanges in areas including agriculture, youth baseball, sports, and the economy. Given their geographical proximity, frequent interactions and strengthened Taiwan-Japan cooperation are expected in the future.
Mayor Chang emphasized that the two cities share many similarities in agricultural development, particularly in rice production and the promotion of rice-based culinary culture. Both cities take pride in their high-quality rice and are committed to innovating rice cuisine. He believes this will lead to further collaboration opportunities, driving agricultural growth on both sides. He also announced that Taoyuan’s Department of Agriculture will participate in the 27th “Rice Taste Appraisal Competition: International Contest in Tsukuba Mirai” next year, enhancing agricultural exchange between the two cities. Additionally, Mayor Chang invited Tsukuba Mirai to lead a delegation to Taoyuan in 2025 for the Taiwan Lantern Festival, where they can experience the beauty of Taiwan’s traditional Lantern Festival and the artistic light displays.