Representative to Japan Hsieh Chang-ting (2nd from left) issued honorary citizen certificate to 94-year-old Mr. Akira Kono (2nd from right) on behalf of Gao Municipal Government.

Picture 1 on the left is Kunio Mizushiro, the president of the Japanese Alumni Association of Yuzhong.

The 1st on the right is Zhuang Futai, the principal of Kaohsiung Middle School.

(Photo provided by Xiongzhong)

[Reporter Fang Zhixian/Kaohsiung Report] Mr. Kono Akira, 94 years old, is an alumnus of the 22nd class of Kaohsiung Middle School. He was born in Kaohsiung and was repatriated to Kyushu, Japan after World War II. He once said that Kaohsiung is his hometown, and "he will be proud of being a Taiwanese throughout his life." The Alumni Association of Kaohsiung High School in Japan held the 100th anniversary of the founding of the school in Tokyo yesterday. On behalf of the Kaohsiung City Government, Hsieh Chang-ting, the representative in Japan, presented the certificate of honorary citizen to Akira Kono. Since he did not know in advance, he was so happy when he learned that the mayor Chen Qimai awarded him an honorary citizen that he was on the spot. Eyes full.

The Kaohsiung Girls’ High School Alumni Association of Japan’s Kaohsiung Junior High School held the centennial anniversary of the founding of the Xiongzhong School in Shinjuku, Tokyo yesterday. At the same time, it also held the Xiongzhong Global Alumni Conference. A total of 120 Xiongzhong female alumni from Taipei, Kaohsiung, the Americas and Japan attended the meeting.

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Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chi-mai presented an honorary citizen to Kono Akira, an old Japanese alumnus of Kaohsiung High School, in recognition of his efforts in Taiwan-Japan non-governmental diplomacy.

Xie Wenbin, director of the Gaoshi Education Bureau, was the principal of Xiongzhong, and he was very moved by Akira Kono's contribution to Taiwan. He said that Akira Kono has long promoted educational exchanges between Taiwan and Japan, promoted Taiwan's history and culture in Japan, and published books to restore the appearance of Kaohsiung during the Japanese occupation era. Let the Japanese people know Kaohsiung deeply, and contribute a lot to the friendship between Taiwan and Japan.

Dr. Duan Zhixian, the former president of the Xiongzhong Alumni Association, also shared a past story, saying that once he told Akira Kono that you can be considered half Taiwanese. Akira Kono replied that he was a Taiwanese, saying that he was born and raised in Taiwan, and that Kaohsiung was his hometown.

He has always been proud of being a Taiwanese throughout his life, and now being awarded the honorary citizen of Kaohsiung City is not only well deserved, but also fulfills his dream of becoming a Taiwanese.

Kono Akira was born in Kaohsiung. His father was the station master of Kaohsiung Port Station. He was studying in Yuzhong during World War II. After World War II, he was repatriated to Kyushu, Japan, and completed high school at Miyazaki Omiya High School.

Akira Kono said that after returning to Japan, he missed his Taiwanese classmates very much, and often exchanged letters. After 25 years, he joined the alumni associations of Yancheng Elementary School and Kaohsiung Middle School. Through regular activities and visits, Taiwanese alumni and Japanese alumni became closer. distance.

Based on his gratitude and recognition to his alma mater Yuzhong, Akira Kono connected the two high school alma maters he attended. Taiwan Xiongzhong and Omiya High School in Miyazaki Prefecture, Kyushu, Japan established a sister school, which not only fulfilled his wish, but also became a common alumni of the two schools. .

This year, under the efforts of Miyazaki Omiya University, Kaohsiung High School also cooperated with the University of Tokyo for the first time. In mid-May, students will go to the University of Tokyo to start a two-day study. The curriculum is designed by the University of Tokyo and takes the STEM framework as the main axis.