We Are Tomodachi Spring / Summer 2018

15/38

15Aichi Prefecture is one of the world’s leading industrial regions, especially for fields like automobiles, being home to Toyota Motor Corporation, as well as aerospace manufacturing and robotics. “We hope that the dignitaries visiting us to attend the meeting will experience our industrial strengths and cutting-edge technological capabilities first-hand,” says Hideaki Ohmura, Governor of Aichi.Aichi’s slogan is “The Heart of Japan—Technology and Tradition.” “This region produced many of the samurai leaders who laid the foundation of early modern Japan, and it is also an area that contributed greatly to the evolution of tea ceremony culture,” explains Governor Ohmura. “We hope that our visitors will not only see our leading technology, but also develop awareness of our traditional Japanese culture and touch upon the true heart of Japan.”Aichi Prefecture has successfully hosted various international events and meetings, including the 2005 World Exposition. Governor Ohmura explains his fellow citizens’ hopes for the coming meeting: “Our local The city of Okayama, a pleasantly warm region that’s served since long ago as an important hub for domestic transportation, is gaining recognition for its efforts toward sustainable urban development. In 2014 the city hosted the UNESCO World Conference on Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) and has received high praise internationally as a city taking the lead in ESD. Okayama is also known as a city advanced in medical treatment and health due to its plentiful medical resources. It boasts some of the highest rankings in the country for the number of doctors per capita, quality of medical installations, and quality of doctors. Mayor Masao Omori says, “Health is a foundation for building a sustainable city. We are working to create a city environment where it’s easy for everyone to have long and healthy lives and continue living in a place they are accustomed to, even if they need to undergo medical or nursing care.”Mayor Omori continues, “Through the Health Ministers’ Meeting, we hope to convey Okayama’s communities are going to provide heartfelt omotenashi hospitality to all our guests as a concerted regional undertaking. Peace and friendship are essential to global development, and we hope to make this an international gathering that will enable the world’s leading nations to cooperate for the future of humanity.”approach to health and medical care as an issue of critical importance, while also sending the message that medical care should be provided under the philosophy of universal health coverage, meaning that everyone should have access to affordable health care services in times of need.”“The Heart of Japan—Technology and Tradition” Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture)Developing as a City Where Everyone Can Live Long and Healthy LivesHealth Ministers’ Meeting (Okayama, Okayama Prefecture) Hideaki Ohmura, Governor of Aichi PrefectureBorn in Aichi Prefecture in 1960. First elected as a member of the House of Representatives in 1996. Served as Parliamentary Vice-Minister for the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, and as Parliamentary Vice-Minister for the Cabinet Office. Assumed the office of Governor of Aichi Prefecture in 2011.Masao Omori, Mayor of OkayamaBorn in Okayama, Okayama Prefecture in 1954. Served as Director General for Disaster Management of the Cabinet Office and as Director-General of the National Spatial Planning and Regional Policy Bureau of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism. Became Mayor of Okayama in October 2013.Aichi, home to Toyota Motor Corporation, has become one of Japan’s biggest industrial centers with its cutting-edge technology and a highly-skilled workforce.Okayama leverages its abundant medical resources for community development that enables everyone to live long and healthy lives.