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Local Government International Exchange

Sister City Information

Finding a sister city

CLAIR supports local governments that are trying to form sister city relationships.
If you would like to post your local government's profile on our page listing foreign local governments that are looking for a Japanese sister city (Japanese only), you can send us the information we need using the following documents:


Please contact us for more information.

Japanese local governments looking for sister city relationships overseas

Here you can find out what local governments in Japan are looking for a sister city relationship. Click on the town name or scroll down to see an overview of their region.

Local governmentPrefectureDesired Country or Region
Nagi Town Okayama Australia, New Zealand


Nagi Town (Okayama Prefecture)

Population 6,000 Area 69.52km2
Outline of Local Government

Nagi is a town abundant with art and nature, located in northeast
Okayama Prefecture in the Chugoku region of Japan, bordering
Tottori Prefecture to the north. Nagi's main industries are
agriculture and forestry, and the town is well-known for its
Yokozen Kabuki, a form of traditional Japanese theater, in addition
to the local art museum. It is also host to the Japanese Ground
Self Defense Force Camp Nihonbara. In order to deal with its
decreasing population, in 2012 Nagi Town announced its
Declaration for Childrearing Support and currently maintains a high
birth rate due to the town's childrearing measures, drawing wide
attention domestic and abroad.

Website(s) http://www.town.nagi.okayama.jp/
http://www.town.nagi.okayama.jp/kankou/nagienglishinformation.html
Desired Country/Region of Exchange Australia, New Zealand
Desired Characteristics of Exchange Partner Educational exchange with our junior high school.
Other PR Information Welcome to Nagi (introductory video)
1.jpg


Nagi MOCA (Museum of Contemporary Art)
2.jpg
Working from a base proposal by famed architect Arata Isozaki,
winner of the 2019 Pritzker Architecture Prize, Nagi MOCA is made
up of three installations that are both elements of the museum's
structure and art works in their own right. Pushing the established
conceptions of what it means to experience art, we invite you to
explore the manipulation of shape and light, to take a moment to
reflect and meditate.

Yokozen Kabuki (traditional Japanese theater)
3.jpg

Continuing a rich tradition since Edo-era Japan, Nagi's Yokozen
Kabuki is recognized as an important intangible folk culture asset
of Okayama Prefecture. Distinctive and dramatic, kabuki has long
been a Japanese icon. If you're in the area at the right time,
seeing a show first-hand in Nagi is an unforgettable experience.
Kabuki performances take place across the year, with the highlight
show taking place in autumn over two days.

Bodaiji Ginkgo Tree
4.jpg
The large ginkgo tree at Bodaiji Temple, nestled up in the
mountainside of Mount Nagi, is recognized by the national
government as a natural monument and a prefecture-wide symbol
for Okayama. According to legend, the influential Buddhist reformer
Honen planted the tree when he began his initiation as a monk,
following his statement that 'learning begins from the roots'.
40m tall and 13m wide, the Bodaiji Ginkgo Tree is one of the
Yomiuri Shimbun's Top 100 Famous Trees of Japan for good reason.
Watching the passage of time for 900 years, the tree stands with an
unmatched presence, all the more alive for the years it has passed.

Mount Nagi
5.jpg
Nagi takes its name from the nearby Mt. Nagi (1255m). Affording
a breathtaking view of the area from the top of the mountain and
serving as a backdrop for daily life in the town below, Mt. Nagi's
majestic presence draws eager trekkers all year round. Designated
as a national park, Mt. Nagi is a showcase for the diversity and
beauty found in Japan's changing seasons. Starting with spring's
new life, the landscape turns to a brilliantly rich green in summer,
which in turn sets alight with autumn colors. Culminating with
snow-clad winter vistas, the mountain is a sight at any point of
the year.

Nagi Beef
6.jpg
Nagi Beef is an exceptionally high-grade wagyu beef that has found
its way into fashionable restaurants around Japan. And for good
reason: the breeding and care of Nagi Beef has been refined over
many generations, along with the pedigree of calf to cow. Recently,
Nagi Beef has been recognized at the Wagyu Beef Prize Show,
coming in at 2nd place nationwide.

Nagi Vikarya Museum
7.jpg
Built to the shape of a shell, the museum exhibits the now-extinct
vikarya (bikaria), a relation to today's sea snail. Fossils from
50 different species are presented across 300 displays, and
outside you can dig for actual fossils from 16 million years ago.

Date Modified Jan 2020
For Enquiries
International Exchange Division
Tel : +81-3-5213-1723
Fax : +81-3-5213-1742
Email : shimai@clair.or.jp
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