About 12 representatives of the Japanese city — including the Mayor of Kumagaya Tetsuya Kobayashi — landed in Invercargill this week to commemorate 30 years since the signing of the sister-city agreement and for a city tour.
Yesterday, Mr Clark and Mr Kobayashi took part in a formal ceremony at the Civic Theatre where they re-signed the agreement.
Mr Clark said he hoped the new document would allow the continuation of the partnership between the two cities.
The relationship with Kumagaya generated an active exchange programme between secondary schools in the two cities and provided the community with trading and businesses opportunities.
"The obvious thing [benefit of the partnership] is that we have a student exchange ... We also have economic development as well, so we have Japanese investment interest in the city."
Mr Kobayashi was pleased with the warm welcome from members of the Invercargill council and said he felt honoured to be in the same role and same place his father was in 1993.
"As I said in my speech at the signing ceremony, I would like to pass on to the next generation the valuable assets between our two cities that have been nurtured over the past 30 years, and I would like to continue to make every effort to further develop exchanges between our two cities."
Mr Clark said in July it was expected that a "small delegation" would be visiting the Japanese city.
The Council will discuss on Tuesday the unbudgeted expenditure of $35,000 for the mayor, the deputy mayor, one councillor, the chief executive and an interpreter to visit the Japanese city for five days.
"We are only sending a small delegation because we are mindful that it [the trip] is sometimes perceived as a costly exercise."
Last year, the Invercargill City Council approved an unbudgeted expenditure of $30,000 to support activities in the civic hosting of the delegation which included a visit to Queens Park, Rugby Park, Tiwai and Stadium Southland, as well as being hosted at Te Rau Aroha marae in Bluff for a formal dinner .
