Town twinning

Twinning with Toyota City

In 1998, Toyota City signed a formal twinning agreement in collaboration with Derbyshire County Council, Derby City Council and South Derbyshire District Council forging a unique link. Since that time many groups of visitors from Japan have visited the district.

Toyota City is located on the main Honshu Island in the middle of the Japanese archipelago, south of Tokyo.  It is famous as an “automobile city” and it boasts one of the highest rates of productivity in Japan.  As well as being the centre for making Toyota vehicles, Toyota City is known for having the clear waters of the Yahagi River flowing through its heart.  It is a centre for the cultivation of rice, pears and orchids.

The twinning arrangement was begun to enable genuine friendships links to be forged.  Amongst the many visitors from Toyota City have been groups of gardeners who have learnt more about the English obsession with gardening and photographers who have collected images of some of South Derbyshire’s heritage treasures.

The formal and informal friendship with Toyota City has also provided an opportunity for the county and the district to share good practice in delivering services to their citizens.  Groups of councillors and council leaders visited the Civic Offices in Swadlincote to learn more about our democratic process.

Young people in South Derbyshire have particularly benefitted from the twinning friendship as they have learnt more about Japanese life, culture and especially music.  Visits from citizens of Toyota City are always greatly anticipated and enjoyed by people in South Derbyshire.

2008 marks the tenth anniversary of the twinning link between Derbyshire and Toyota City.  There were exchanges of students, artists, musicians and cultural delegations together with a gift exchange between our two countries and the signing of a Decennial Memorandum.  The people of Toyota City have gifted three stone lanterns to Derbyshire.  The South Derbyshire lantern has been sited in the Sensory Garden at Rosliston Forestry Centre.  The Derbyshire gift to Toyota City was a willow sculpture created by Laura Ellen Bacon and was unveiled at a ceremony in the English Garden in Kuragaike Park on 1 November 2008.

Contact details

South Derbyshire District Council
Chief Executive's Office
Civic Offices
Civic Way
Swadlincote
Derbyshire
DE11 0AH

Tel: 01283 595702
Fax: 01283 595854
Online: contact form

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