Members of the youth football team of both cities together with Mayor Kuroda, Hirado, Mayor Goedhart, Noordwijkerhout and Mr. Vink

The delegation from Hirado City, Nagasaki Prefecture, led by Mayor Naruhiko Kuroda, visited the Municipality of Noordwijkerhout and participated in various exchange activities between two local communities from August 17 to 21. In 2000 Hirado City initiated a Youth Football Exchange Programme of junior high school students with Noordwijkerhout. This year a friendship match was held at VVSB Football Field, Noordwijkerhout.  Mr. Peter Vink, a famous Dutch football referee attended the match and cheered the young players.
Prior to the match, Mayor Kuroda hosted a press conference together with Mayor G. Goedhart and outlined of the reconstruction project of the Dutch Trading Post in Hirado which is expected to be completed in the autumn of 2011. The Dutch Trading Post  in Hirado was established in 1609 by the Dutch East India Company and served for 33 years as trading establishment until 1641 when the Edo government ordered it moved  to Dejima (Deshima). At the conference, it was also reported that both cities will expand the scope of their exchange programmes in various fields including  martial arts, sports, culture and arts.
Hirado City Web-site “Dutch Trading Post in Hirado”：http://www.city.hirado.nagasaki.jp/english/sights/dutchtradingpost.htm

Page Top