On October 20 through 22, 2009, the Days of Osaka were held in St.Petersburg, timed to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the partnership of St.Petersburg and Osaka (Japan).
On October 20 through 22, 2009, the Days of Osaka were held in St.Petersburg, timed to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the partnership of St.Petersburg and Osaka (Japan).
To attend the events, a delegation of Osaka in St.Petersburg from 19 to 23 October 2009, headed by Keizo Kitayama, Vice-Mayor, and Yoshihiro Funato, Chairman of City Parliament.
During the visit, the delegation met with A.I. Vakhmistrov, Vice-Governor of St.Petersburg, and V.S. Yagya, plenipotentiary representative of the Legislative Assembly of St.Petersburg on Foreign Relations; participated in a briefing on the “Investment Climate of St.Petersburg” organized by the Consulate General of Japan, the Japanese Center in St.Petersburg, and the Japanese Organization for the development of foreign trade (JETRO).
The main events of the Days of Osaka in St.Petersburg were:
- Seminar on promoting Osaka in St.Petersburg, which attracted about 100 people - representatives of business, tourism, public organizations, and government agencies, as well as the mass-media. The seminar audience was presented a series of presentations and reports describing various aspects of the attractiveness of Osaka as a center for tourism, investments, and business.
- The ceremony of signing the Agreement on Cooperation between the St.Petersburg State University and the State University of Osaka; the Protocol on conditions of cooperation between St.Petersburg State University and University of Osaka City in 2010-2014. The signing took place in the building of the Twelve Colleges of the St.Petersburg State University; the Russia's side in the event was represented by K.K. Khudoley, Pro-Rector for International Relations.
- The highlight of the Days’ program was the concert by Japanese singer Ayaka Hirahara at the Music Hall, which aroused the great interest among the residents of St.Petersbur and resulted in a full house. At the concert, the classical-music songs sounded performed in a modern arrangement. The climax of the concert was the performance of the final song "Million Scarlet Roses" in Japanese and Russian languages.
Source: Committee for External Relations of St.Petersburg