The temperature was around 35 degrees when a group of youngsters bound for Campbelltown left their home town of Koshigaya in Japan about a week ago.
When the 15 students taking part in this year’s Campbelltown-Koshigaya Sister Cities Association exchange program landed in Sydney, they were greeted with temperatures closer to 10 degrees.
It was a bit of a shock for them, leaving Japan during high summer to arrive in deep winter Down Under, as association president Terry Crotty said during his speech at a welcome function last night in Campbelltown arts centre.
There are 15 students taking part in the visit to Campbelltown, as well as two group leaders.
They are all being billeted by local residents, some of whom have been generously offering their homes for many years.
The sister city relationship with Koshigaya was formed 40 years ago in 1984.
The milestone has been marked this year with reciprocal visits of the mayors and general managers of each town, as well as members of the two sister city associations.
In early June 2024, 11 association members travelled to Koshigaya to celebrate the 40th anniversary.
In April, 10 members from the Koshigaya Association and City Council visited Campbelltown for the same milestone.
Student exchange visit stopped during the pandemic in 2020, 2021 and 2022, resuming last year.
More than 500 students from both towns have taken part over the years.
Last night they were welcomed to Campbelltown by Mayor George Greiss, pictured, whose speech was translated into Japanese as he delivered it.
To show their appreciation, the Japanese students performed dances and sang for those present.
