[Gyeonggi provincial delegation’s visit to Japan ②] A face-to-face talk with Gifu Prefectural Governor Furuta Hajime  

◇Governor Kim met with Gifu Prefectural Governor Furuta Hajime at Westin Nagoya Hotel in Nagoya City, Japan, on July 18, and they promised to interact and cooperate with each other over tourism, ceramics, and measures for low birth rate and aging society. ⓒ Gyeonggi G-News 

Gyeonggi Governor Kim Moon-soo promised to interact and cooperate with Gifu Prefecture for tourism, ceramics, and measures for low birth rate and aging society on the second day of his visit in Japan.

Governor Kim met with Gifu Prefectural Governor Furuta Hajime and promised friendly cooperation between the two regions at Westin Nagoya Hotel located in Nagoya City at 8:00 a.m on July 18. 

Governor Kim said, “Declining birth rate and growing aging population became permanent in Japan earlier than in Korea. Now, Korea is also suffering depression of the housing market and economic crisis due to low birth rate and aging population just as Japan,” addding that “As Japan experiences will be of help to Korea, I would like to interact and cooperate with your region over solutions for these issues.”

Governor Furuta agreed with him by saying, “Gifu Prefecture established a ten-year long-term plan to deal with depopulation, low birth rate, and aging population starting from five years ago. We are currently progressing interim check, marking five years of  the policy enforcement. When it finishes at the end of this year, We will introduce it to Gyeonggi Province.”

Governor Furuta said, “According to statistics of Japan, while a total of 2.8 million to 2.9 million Korean tourists staying in Japan each year, only 10,000 tourists of them stay in Gifu Prefecture,” and suggested, “I hope to expand tourism exchanges.”

He also mentioned that Tajimi City in Gifu Prefecture is famous for ceramics, and requested cooperation from Gyoenggi Province so that Gifu Prefecture can participated in the World Ceramic Biennale, which will be held in Gyeonggi Province this Autumn, and Gyeonggi Province can participate in International Ceramics Festival, which will be held in Gifu Prefecture in September next year.

Governor Kim promised to cooperate in an active fashion by contacting Gyeonggi Tourism Organization and Korea Ceramic Foundation immediately after he returns to Korea, and requested Gifu Governor to visit Gyeonggi Province as early as possible. As Governor Furuta positively responded to the request, he is expected to visit Gyeonggi Province soon.

Gifu Prefecture has 2,056,000 residents and is located in the midwest region in Japan. Most of the prefecture is mountains, highlands, and hills, and it is famous for ‘Shirakawago Village’ in Takayama Region, which was designated as UNESCO World Cultural Heritage in 1995.  

ⓒGyeonggi G-News | Nam Gyeong-woo echo2008f@gg.go.kr

http://gnews.gg.go.kr/news/news_detail.asp?number=201307181338527055C049&s_code=C049