Swan Hill Yamagata Club's Allastair Blackman and Bill Maher.

Media Release

Friday, 12 September 2008

The Swan Hill Yamagata Club is asking residents interested in taking part in a citizen tour to Japan to attend a meeting on Wednesday 17 September.

Swan Hill Yamagata Club President Bill Maher said that while a trip was planned for 2010 (marking 30 years of the friendship), there was also the possibility of a 2009 citizen tour, if the interest from the Swan Hill community was there.

“At the moment, from our previous citizen tour meeting in April, we had a number of people who were interested in taking part in a Yamagata trip,” Swan Hill Yamagata Club President Bill Maher said.

“That’s why we are holding this meeting next Wednesday to confirm the numbers of interested residents, which will then determine whether we will hold an additional citizen tour next year before the 30^th anniversary tour in 2010.”

Both tours are expected to take place in early August and will go for two weeks.

“As part of the two-week tour, we will be visiting Kyoto, Hiroshima and of course, Yamagata, where we will be participating in the Hanagasa Flower Hat Dance Festival,” Mr Maher said.

“Both of these inexpensive tours are open to citizens for either 2009 or 2010 and includes a two-week Japan Rail Pass for the bullet trains, with home hosting in Yamagata.”

The Swan Hill Yamagata Club meeting will take place on Wednesday 17 September at 7.30pm in the café area of the Swan Hill Town Hall.

For more information regarding the proposed Yamagata tours please contact Bill Maher on 0418 307 747 or Secretary of the Swan Hill Yamagata Club Allastair Blackman on 0428 503 235.