Department for Youth, Taipei City Government(青年局英文網)

On June 2, the Taipei City Government received a delegation from Japan’s Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) Youth Division at City Hall. Mayor Wan-an Chiang personally welcomed the delegation, accompanied by Deputy Secretary-General Chen-Hua Yu, Research, Development and Evaluation Commission Chairperson Yin Wei, and Department for Youth Commissioner Yi-Hsi Chou. Chiaki Muramoto, Director of the Press and Culture Department at the Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association, also attended. The two sides engaged in-depth discussions on youth affairs, city diplomacy, and future collaboration. This marks the fourth time Mayor Chiang has met with the LDP Youth Division since taking office, with the Japanese side expressing confidence that "under the charismatic leadership of Mayor Chiang, youth exchanges between Taiwan and Japan will only deepen and flourish."

The delegation was led by House of Representatives member Yasutaka Nakasone, who assumed leadership of the LDP Youth Division in November 2024. It included several national legislators and senior members of the Division, continuing the dialogue initiated by Taipei’s official visit to Japan last year. In his remarks, Mayor Chiang highlighted that since the Department for Youth’s establishment in June 2024, it has built close ties with the LDP Youth Division. This includes the visit by then-Commissioner Takako Suzuki in August, followed by reciprocal visits by Commissioner Yin Wei in September 2024 and February 2025. The Department for Youth aims to continue fostering exchange and cooperation, broadening youth participation in global affairs, and injecting youthful innovation into Taiwan-Japan friendship.

Gifts were exchanged as tokens of goodwill: Taipei presented a plush of “Strong,” the mascot of the 2025 World Masters Games in Taipei and New Taipei City, symbolizing the city’s global engagement through sports. The Japanese delegation gifted a Daruma doll, emblazoned with both nations’ flags, representing perseverance and shared aspirations. To conclude the visit, Director Nakasone invited Mayor Chiang to take a group selfie, underscoring the spirit of youthful energy.

Commissioner Chou noted that expanding Taipei’s international connections has always been central to the Department’s vision. With a mission to create opportunities for dialogue between youth and the world, the Department is dedicated to making Taipei a key hub for global youth engagement. In August, the Department will lead a group of Taipei Youth Advisory Committee members to Tokyo to join a youth-focused international forum. Following this visit, it also plans to strengthen partnerships with governmental and non-governmental organizations across Japan to establish sustained ties between Taipei and cities like Tokyo. The goal is to foster meaningful dialogue and experience-sharing in youth policy and international cooperation, jointly building a more inclusive and forward-looking future for the next generation.