Peter Shokeir | [email protected]
Jasper celebrated its 50th twinning anniversary with Hakone, Japan by hosting a conference featuring stories and presentations honouring the relationship.
The Municipality of Jasper hosted the 2023 Alberta/Japan Twinned Municipalities Association Conference at the Forest Park Hotel on May 12 and 13.
The long-standing sister-city relationship between Jasper and Hakone first began in 1972.
The purpose of establishing these kinds of relationships is to promote friendship, education and tourism, and allows members of both communities to explore another culture.
Although the 50th anniversary was technically last year, the pandemic and other factors delayed the conference until this year.
The conference began the evening of May 12 with Japanese-inspired appetizers and sample sakes, a display of winning photos from the 2022 Japan Photo Contest, a welcome from Mayor Richard Ireland and a special performance by Jasper Theatre Productions.
The following day, the conference kicked off after members sang the national anthems of Canada and Japan.
Takahiko Watabe, consul-general of Japan in Calgary, was the first guest speaker and thanked all the attendees from across Alberta for joining the celebration.
Warren Waxer then gave a brief history of the Ice Axe, which was left at the top of Mount Alberta in the 1920s by a group of Japanese alpinists.
He described how Mount Alberta, the fifth highest in the Canadian Rockies, remained unclimbed until experienced mountaineer Yuko Maki assembled a team and steamed over from Japan to challenge the mountain.
Marlene McQuesten, president of the Lacombe and District Rikubetsu Friendship Society, later presented on the benefits of the long-term commitment to international municipal exchange relationships.
Dr. Roy Kariatsumari, president of the Alberta/Japan Twinned Municipalities Association, offered a few remarks following a group photo.
The Jasper Park Chamber of Commerce and the Municipality of Jasper also presented on the twinning relationship.
The conference concluded in the afternoon with the association鈥檚 annual general meeting.
A delegation from Jasper is expected to go visit Hakone in the fall.
