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The Sister City Lighthouse Project

The Sister City Lighthouse Project – Art exchange.

Devonport City has a sister city relationship with Minamata City in Japan. Formalised in 1996, the relationship is dedicated to encouraging friendship, co-operation and understanding – to improve peaceful co-existence worldwide.

Devonport City Council and Devonport Regional Gallery have developed some crafts to do at home to honour and celebrate the sister city relationship. 

We would like to share your art with our sister city, please send Council a photo to [email protected] and feel free to let us know if you have any other ideas to celebrate our sister city relationship!

Create a lighthouse lantern using a milk carton and paper mache. 

Decorate your lighthouse with messages of hope to share with others in Devonport and in Minamata. 

Share your art with our sister city, by sending a photo to [email protected] 

Using paper that you have around the house make an Origami Lighthouse. In the picture below we have used brown packing paper. 

Origami lighthouse

We would like to share your art with our sister city, please send Council a photo at [email protected] OR once COVID-19 restrictions lift, drop it off at Council Customer Service counter and it will be sent to Minamata, Japan. 

Kodomo no Hi (こどもの日) is a national holiday in Japan that occurs annually on the 5th of May.
Kodomo no Hi means ‘Children’s Day’ and is a celebration of children and their happiness.

On this day in Japan, families fly Koinobori, carp-shaped windsocks, make your own small Koinobori using recycled materials you have around the house. 

Recycled Craft Koinobori

Consider sharing your art with our sister city, by sending Council a photo to [email protected] 

Koinobori - Recycled craft

The Koinobori Project is an exchange project to make Japanese carp streamers and exchange them with Minamata school children/the City of Minamata, our sister city in honor of Kodomo no Hi – Children’s Day 5 May.
The carp is believed to be a very spirited fish, powerful and energetic enough to swim up rapidly-flowing streams. It symbolises courage and the power to achieve goals by virtue of its power and determination to overcome obstacles.

Make a Koinobori using the template attached and add a message for the children of Devonport and Minamata.  Share your art with our sister city, by sending Council a photo to [email protected] or once COVID-19 restrictions lift, drop it off at Council Customer Service counter and it will be sent to Minamata, Japan. 

Koinobori art

2019 DRG koinobori worksheet

Find more details on the Koinobori Project here