Wellington Sakai Association 2.64

The idea of the Sakai-Wellington sister city relationship was originally promoted by the former Japanese Ambassador to New Zealand, Takeo Iguchi.

In 1993 Fran Wilde, then Mayor of Wellington, visited Sakai and signed an agreement to proceed with the establishment of a sister city relationship. The following year a delegation led by the Mayor of Sakai, Hideo Hataya, visited Wellington to formally sign a sister city agreement.

The Wellington Sakai Association was established in 1995. The mission of the association is to support Wellington City Council in the development of the sister city relationship with Sakai. There is also a Sakai Wellington Association in Japan.

Wellington and Sakai now have a wide variety of exchanges between them, including home stay and educational exchanges, youth sports tournaments, kindergarten picture exchanges, and exhibitions of art, pottery and ikebana.