Our Host City- Himeji, Japan

Our first visit in Himeji was to the mayor's office. We were welcomed to the city by Mayor Toshikatsu Iwami. During this period we were able to ask questions of him and the Superintendent of Himeji City Schools. Himeji is a port city with two rivers running from the hills into the ocean. They are known for their river eel, which I will say was oishii, delicious. Mayor Iwami was a soft spoken gentleman. He thanked us for coming and wanted to find out what our first impressions of his city was. He was very proud of the city, as he should be. I asked him about his goals and or hopes for his city. He said that he built his goals around three pillars. Pillar One-was to address what the country of Japan considers a problem and that was the growing number of elderly. He didn't believe this, in fact he felt that the elderly were their best assets. He was working on having them remain in viable relationships and involved with city issues and the community as much as possible. Pillar Two- Was to expand the responsibilities of businesses and the community in incorporating more environmentally sound practices that would allow Himeji to become a more global community, and Pillar Three- which was the education of the children, so that Pillar One and Two could be fulfilled. When Mayor Iwami was asked what we could not miss in his city, he said that of course you must see Himeji Castle and he would like us to see the Himeji Peace Monument. That very afternoon we headed out to both. Himeji Castle- "Special Features of Himeji Castle Himeji Castle is nicknamed "White Heron" Castle because of its white walls which are covered with white plaster. The reason for using white plaster is that it is fireproof. Like other surviving Japanese castles, Himeji Castle is built of wood, not stones, and so fire prevention is very important. As well as the fact that white plaster has fireproofing capabilities, it is also considered to be a strong reinforcement. Therefore it covers both walls and almost every outside structure from eaves to pillars. The castle is built on the top of a hill called Himeyama, which is 45.6 meters above sea level. The main tower, which is the center and the symbol of the castle, is 46.4 meters high; namely, it stands 92 meters above sea level." The above was information was taken from http://www.himeji-castle.gr.jp/index/English/

Our presentation: