Online petition to save the much-loved Japanese hub in Perth

Hyogo Cultural Center in Perth faces closure next year, after being a hub of Japan and its culture for people in WA for 30 years.

Students are trying Japanese calligraphy at the Hyogo Cultural Center in Perth. Source: Hyogo Cultural Center Perth/Facebook

Hyogo Cultural Centre in Perth was established by Hyogo prefecture in Japan in 1992 to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the sister state relationship between Hyogo and West Australia.  The centre marks its 30th anniversary this year.

The much-loved cultural centre now faces closure next year, due to the recent financial rebuilding efforts by Hyogo prefecture.

Hyogo prefecture has been carrying a financial burden in association with the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake in 1995, and its revenue was hit hard due to the coronavirus pandemic recently.

The prefecture said that the closure of the centre is still a plan at the moment.  The fate of the centre will be decided at the prefectural parliament held in late March.

Some people in the local community in Perth started online petition to keep the centre open.

The audio gives you the full-report in Japanese.

To mark the 20th anniversary of the Great Hanshin-Awaji earthquake, students in WA made origami koalas and stuck them together to make a big Habatan, the mascot of Hyogo, in 2014. It is now displayed in the Earthquake museum in Hyogo, Japan. Source: Hyogo Cultural Center Perth

Download the free SBS Radio app to listen live and on-demand or explore podcasts.

https://podfollow.com/sbs-japanese

Visit our Facebook for more Japanese stories.