[in Japanese]

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The New Zealand/Japan relationship is flourishing in various spheres including politics, economics, trade, tourism and education. It is no exaggeration to say that grassroots level exchanges, which are represented by sister city links, have played an important role in building a firm foundation for good bilateral relations. There are currently 28 sister city links with New Zealand throughout Japan. The oldest link (Christchurch and Kurashiki) was established in 1974, while the latest one (Bullar and Amagase) was established in March this year. Many cities are very active in exchanges and seem to receive a great deal of support from local residents. One new aspect, which is now evident, is their interest in building up economic linkages with counterparts. The relationships are well beyond the "getting to know each other" stage, and are now operating on a basis of mutual trust. New Zealand and Japan have never been so close together. In the APEC era this process will continue. Strong ties at grass-roots level will continue to be very important for maintaining the healthy relationships that have been established.

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