By Zaki Salleh
IPOH: With a smile, she handed over a cloth bag containing cookies and a tourism map of Fukuoka, Japan.
Anju Kaneoka, 16, a high school student from Fukuoka, then invited visitors to take photos together.
The small stall promoting Fukuoka tourism was one of the highlights at the ‘Japanese Summer Festival,’ part of the Ipoh Visit Festival and Perak’s Visit Year 2024 celebrations at Lorong Seni @ Lorong Panglima.
Anju is part of a group of students from Fukuoka who are in Ipoh for 10 days to celebrate the Ipoh-Fukuoka City Twin Program.
She said that during their stay in Ipoh, they would participate in various programs, including visiting local high schools and engaging in cultural exchange.
“I hope to explore new experiences in Ipoh and am very excited to introduce Fukuoka as Ipoh’s twin city.
“Ipoh and Fukuoka share many similarities, especially as tourism cities,” she told Ipoh Echo / Peraktastic.
Over 300 visitors attended the festival, which is being held for the second time, following its inaugural event in 2017.
The public was also captivated by cultural performances from various ethnic communities in Perak.
Stalls selling various souvenirs, including caricature drawings, drew the interest of visitors.
Earlier, the event was officiated by Ipoh Mayor, Datuk Rumaizi Baharin.
He explained that the event is part of the initiatives to support Perak’s Visit Year 2024 and internationalize Ipoh city.
He stated that tourism can significantly contribute to economic growth.
“Since the signing of the Ipoh-Fukuoka City Twin Program agreement on March 21, 1989, numerous activities and programs have been carried out between the two cities.
“To internationalize Ipoh, we need to advance by organizing international events, and this is one of them.
“This is also a starting point for Ipoh to prepare for the Visit Malaysia Year 2026, where we need to be ready to welcome more tourists,” he added.
