- Western Australia and Japan’s Hyogo Prefecture celebrate 45-year anniversary of sister-state agreement – the longest international partnership of this kind
- Vice Governor of Hyogo Prefecture to visit Perth to mark the occasion
- New joint statement to expand co-operation and reaffirm our existing close ties signed
- Supports Cook Labor Government’s vision to remain the strongest economy in the nation and become a renewable energy powerhouse
Western Australia and Japan’s Hyogo Prefecture will this year celebrate the 45th anniversary of their sister-state relationship.
Established in 1981, the sister-state relationship was established because of strong trade connections between Kobe Steel, Nippon Steel, and Western Australia’s iron ore sector. Over time it has evolved into a broad and enduring relationship strengthened by people-to-people links, reciprocal delegations and exchanges across sports, educational, academic and art exchanges.
To mark the anniversary, the Vice Governor of Hyogo Prefecture, Mr Yutaka Morimoto, is visiting Western Australia from 25-27 August 2026. Today, he met with Premier Roger Cook to sign a new joint statement that expands on co-operation in renewable energy, ports, decarbonisation, health, and medical life sciences. The statement builds on 45 years of collaboration and reflects both regions’ shared commitment to future-focused industries.
During the meeting, Premier Cook was also presented with the Hyogo Prefectural Distinguished Service Award for Contribution to International Cooperation. The award was established in 1950 and is one of the highest-ranking awards presented by the Hyogo Governor.
The Vice Governor, who is accompanied by a delegation from Hyogo, will also meet with several senior Western Australian Government representatives and agencies during his visit, and attend sites and engagements related to renewable energy, education, culture, and sports.
The Cook Labor Government’s Invest and Trade Hub in North East Asia continues to actively maintains the relationship with Hyogo Prefecture and support new business connections.
As stated by Premier Roger Cook:
“My government deeply values Western Australia’s enduring sister-state relationship with the Hyogo Prefecture – our State’s oldest sister-state relationship.
“For 45 years, Western Australia and Hyogo Prefecture have built a partnership founded on friendship, mutual respect and shared opportunity.
“This new joint statement strengthens that foundation and deepens collaboration in renewable energy, education, health, and medical life sciences while creating new opportunities for our communities, researchers, and businesses.
“Japan is one of Western Australia’s most important international partners, and strengthening our relationship with Hyogo will help support our economic growth and help drive our clean energy future.”
