Hiroshima and Hanover in Germany marked the 40^th anniversary of their sister city affiliation in 2023.
　In 1968, under the Japan-Germany Cultural Agreement, a delegation of 130 Japanese youth representatives traveled to Germany. During this visit, the International Youth Association Hiroshima (IYAH) dispatched the Secretary-General and two university students from Hiroshima City. Subsequently, youth exchanges at the grassroots level between Hiroshima City and Hanover City continued to thrive with the leadership of the same association. In 1972, for the first time, the Mayor of Hiroshima visited Hanover City, leading to increased interpersonal exchanges at the administrative level. In 1983, as momentum grew, the two cities established a sister city partnership. Currently, Hanover City is playing a significant role as a Vice President City for the Mayors for Peace.
　To commemorate the 40^th anniversary, a 21-member delegation from Hanover, including Mayor Belit Onay, visited Hiroshima during the first week of August. In conjunction with the delegation's attendance at the Peace Memorial Ceremony on the morning of August 6, the City Diversity & Inclusion Division of this Foundation held an event entitled "Hanover Day" in the afternoon to celebrate the 40^th anniversary of the sister city affiliation and to allow Hiroshima citizens to experience and become familiar with German culture and deepen their understanding of our sister city.
　Before the ceremony, many citizens enjoyed German cultural experiences such as sausages, Baumkuchen cake, tasting of bread and wine directly from Germany, and paper crafts of German trains, as well as the Ueda Sōko tradition of tea ceremony, which has a close relationship with the city of Hanover.
　The Lüttje Lage (drinking shots) experience corner, which is unique to the city of Hanover, was a lively event held by about 30 young people, mostly members of the IYAH, which has played a central role in civic youth exchange between the cities of Hiroshima and Hannover. This corner also featured a panel presentation on the history of youth exchange between the two cities to date.
　On the commemorative stage, members of the International Youth Conference for Peace in the Future, in which high school students and others from Hiroshima City exchange opinions with youth from around the world to deepen mutual understanding and think together about world peace, gave a report on their visit to Hanover in May. In past years, this conference has alternated between Hiroshima City and its sister and friendship cities, bringing together youth from around the world. This year's conference was held in Hanover, coinciding with the May 27 signing date of the sister city affiliation agreement with Hiroshima City. The reports by the visiting youths included anecdotes in which they used music to express their thoughts and feelings that they had developed in Hanover, and other anecdotes that showed the rich creativity of the next generation, transcending national borders.
　Other highlights included an introduction to the city of Hanover by Hiroshima Messengers, a classical concert by Hiroshima musicians with ties to Germany, and a wonderful performance by the 17-member Hiroshima City Fire Department Band. Approximately 500 people attended the event.