Department of Information and Tourism, Taipei City Government

The partnership between the Department for Youth, the Taipei City Government, and the Youth Division of Japan's Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) continues to strengthen! Following last year's visit to the Taipei City Government by former Director Suzuki Takako of the LDP Youth Division, who met with Mayor Chiang Wan-an and engaged with numerous Taipei youth, Commissioner Wei Yin of the Taipei City Department for Youth recently visited Tokyo to congratulate Congressman Nakasone Yasutaka on his successful re-election to parliament and appointment as Director of the Youth Division. This meeting marks the first official exchange between the two organizations since Congressman Nakasone's visit to Taiwan last year, making it particularly significant as his first interaction in his new role as Youth Division Director.

The exchange covered multiple aspects of Taiwan-Japan youth issues. The Japanese side showed particular interest in addressing school non-attendance and hikikomori (social withdrawal) issues, which have sparked extensive discussion in Japanese society and yielded rich policy experience, offering valuable references for Taipei's related policy implementation. The Taiwanese delegation engaged in in-depth discussions with Youth Division Director Nakasone Yasutaka and Acting Director Kamiya Masayuki on topics ranging from career development to public participation and international exchange. The meeting proceeded in a cordial atmosphere, with both parties agreeing to meet again in Taipei or Tokyo to further deepen cooperation.

Following the meeting, both sides exchanged distinctive gifts. Congressman Nakasone prepared special Gunma Prefecture senbei rice crackers and curry sauce packets featuring his portrait, displaying unique thoughtfulness. Commissioner Yin humorously responded, "Such special gifts are too precious to eat!" The Taipei City Department for Youth reciprocated with New Year's calligraphy featuring "Snake, Horse, Dragon, and Crane" and longan cakes from the renowned Din Tai Fung. Commissioner Yin joked that he prefers longan cakes to pineapple cakes because "longan" symbolizes completeness and perfection in Chinese, expressing hopes for increasingly perfect cooperation between the youth divisions of both countries in promoting youth development. Congressman Nakasone, recalling Mayor Chiang's impressive selfie-taking skills from last year's visit, invited Commissioner Yin to take photos shared on social media, demonstrating their exchange's warm and friendly nature.

Commissioner Yin stated that this Tokyo visit not only facilitated youth policy exchanges with the LDP Youth Division but also aimed to deepen cooperation on various youth issues. Additionally, the trip included two important missions: signing an international internship exchange memorandum with Waseda University and delivering a speech at the "Tokyo Global Forum on Children," where he engaged with international experts and scholars to discuss child and youth development issues, further expanding Taipei City's participation and cooperation in international youth affairs. He emphasized that Mayor Chiang holds high expectations for Taiwan-Japan exchanges, particularly following the LDP Youth Division's visit and meeting with the mayor last year, hoping for more substantial cooperation in promoting international youth exchange and development.

This exchange strengthens the friendly relations between the youth organizations of both countries and lays a solid foundation for future cooperation. The Taipei City Department for Youth looks forward to continuing deeper exchanges with the LDP Youth Division, working together in youth policy and international cooperation to create a better future for young people.