Since 1999, Kyotanabe City's kindergarten and elementary school students have exchanged artwork and letters with primary school pupils from the Wirral, England.

This exchange aims to have the children learn about foreign cultures, become interested in the countries of the world, and recognise different lifestyles, thereby becoming more aware of their own culture through the visual medium of their peers' artwork.

The artwork and letters are exchanged once a year and sent out to participating schools.

In June and December every year, approximately 15 exchange students from the Tuebingen University Center for Japanese Language at Doshisha University come to Kyotanabe.

They visit an elementary school, taking part in a lesson with the children before having school lunch together, and experience some Japanese culture like tea-drinking at a local famous site. 

Kyotanabe city offers financial aid to those living in Kyotanabe who are paying for study abroad themselves or hosting a home-stay guest.

Type A: for families that will host a student from abroad. *Financial aid is only offered for one student, even if the family hosts two or more students.

Type B: For anyone in junior high school or older who will fund study abroad themselves. *This excludes being sent abroad for work, sightseeing trips, or study that will not involve interaction with foreigners.

Please note:

1. The available aid amounts to 2000 yen per night with a maximum of 10,000 yen for 5 nights.
2. Please apply up to 2 weeks prior to the start of the exchange. We will not accept application after completion.
3. A family (for Type A) or individual (for Type B) may only apply for this financial aid once a year (from the 1st of April until the 31st of March the following year).
4. Please do not forget to submit the report form after completing the exchange.

Like Assistant Language Teachers (ALTs, gaikokugo shidou joshu, 外国語指導助手), Coordinators for International Relations (CIRs, kokusai kouryuu in, 国際交流員) are civil servants of foreign nationality whose employment is facilitated by the Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Programme. JET is administered by three Japanese government ministries (the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, and the Ministry for Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology) and the Council of Local Authorities for International Relations (CLAIR). Each year there are approximately 4,500 participants.

CIRs are required to have Japanese ability equivalent to level 2 of the Japanese Language Proficiency Test. The work of a CIR includes organising and participating in international exchange events and activities, visiting local kindergartens and pre-schools, translation and interpretation to help local foreign residents, and encouraging international understanding.

Kyotanabe city employed its first CIR, Alison Evans, on the 27th of July, 2009. *Link is to a Japanese page.

* The CIR is available to assist and interpret for foreign residents in Kyotanabe. Please contact the Civic Involvement Division below for more details.

★ Main Activities★

1. International Cooking Class
2. Events introducing various foreign cultures
3. Discussion groups
4. Concerts
5. Exchange events with the ALTs and CIR
6. Organising and managing international exchange activities

★ How to Join ★

1. You must live, work or study in Kyotanabe city.
2. Annual membership fee: 2000 yen. 
3. Please write your name (with furigana), address, telephone number, date of birth, occupation, and activities you would particularly like to participate in on an official postcard and send it to the address below.

Kyotanabe International Exchange Association
Civic Involvement Office
Kyotanabe City Hall
80 Tanabe, Kyotanabe, 610-0393

〒610－0393
京田辺市田辺80番地（京田辺市役所市民参画課内）
京田辺国際交流協会事務局

Civic Involvement Division (shimin sankaku ka, 市民参画課)

TEL: 0774-64-1314

FAX: 0774-64-1305

* Please call this number if you require interpretation or assistance from the CIR to communicate with any other division in the city hall.