type:論文

type:Article

今から362年前の1643年6月10日、そして再度の7月28日、鎖国時代の日本であったが、1隻のオランダ船ブレスケンス号が、水と食料を求めて山田湾に姿を現した。記録によると、異国船の入港に地元の人々は驚愕を隠せなかったが、乗組員を温かくもてなした。この史実をもとに山田町は、1960年代にブレスケンス号の母港であるオーストブルフ市へ姉妹都市締結の打診をしたが、実現には至らなかった。その後オランダ王室私設顧問からクリステリック・カレッジ・ザイスト校を紹介され、1996年国際理解教育を目的にして同校へ最初の中学生を派遣した。ザイスト市表敬訪問も含むこのプログラムは継続して実施され、両市町の絆が強固になっていった。そして日蘭交流400周年記念の2000年に、山田町はザイスト市と念願の友好都市締結を果たした。提携から今年で5年が経過したことになるが、継続性をみている青少年派遣事業に焦点を当てて交流の内容を検証した。また何故1960年代に山田町が望んだ姉妹都市締結が実現しなかったのか、日蘭関係の歴史を紐解きながら考察した。

This monograph will treat of the friendship city relationship between the Town of Yamada, Iwate Prefecture, Japan, and the City of Zeist, Utrecht Province, the Netherlands. The relationship between Yamada facing the Pacific Ocean and the Netherlands dates back to the seventeenth century. In 1643, a Dutch ship named the Breskens, together with the Castricom, was sent to the Pacific Ocean with the purpose of examining whether the Gold and Silver Islands recounted by Marco Polo might lie further south than they had been conjectured. On May 19 of the same year, however, the two ships were overtaken by a terrible storm, and were separated off the Hachijo Island, south of Japan. The yacht Breskens alone continued the voyage, reaching the Bay of Yamada on the northeastern shore of the main island (Honshu) on June 10, 1643. The captain ordered some of his crew to go ashore for fresh water. Shortly after, the people of Yamada realized the ship and came on board for inspection, and had a fabulous evening with the Dutch sailors, indulging in alcoholic drink and music, though Japan had promulgated a national isolation policy in 1639. Here was a fortuitous encounter between Yamada and the Netherlands in the seventeenth century. Later in the middle of 1960s, Yamada named one island in the bay the Dutch Island, and thought that the inaugural meeting with the Dutch people was historic and precious enough to establish a sister city relationship with a city, a home port of the Breskens. This idea, however, was not crystallized into a fact for a variety of reasons. Approximately thirty years later, in 1993, Yamada Town held the three hundred fiftieth anniversary of the Breskens' arrival in the Yamada Bay. At the celebration, Yamada municipal officials expressed their fervent aspiration to have a sister city in Holland to Erik H. Roelfzema, author and advisor to the Dutch royal family as well. Roelfzema gave their eager desire serious consideration, and introduced them to Christelijk College Zeist, whose principal was his cousin. In 1996, Yamada sent a first delegation of eight junior high school students with two chaperons. This program has lasted over ten years after that. On May 13, 2000, Mayors of Yamada and Zeist signed an agreement to enter into a bond of friendly relations with each other. The objects of the relationship were to strive for the exchange and cooperation between the two cities in the cultural field, to investigate and identify the opportunities and possibilities for the exchange and cooperation in other fields, and to promote lasting friendship between the two cities, as well as the nations of the Netherlands and Japan. The aims have been achieved through music, arts sports, and mainly educational exchanges. Five years have passed since Yamada started a close relationship with Zeist. This October, a delegation of representatives of Zeist is supposed to visit Yamada to commemorate the fifth anniversary of their friendship city relationship. They will be in the second stage where the ties of mutual understanding will be strengthened, and where friendship between the citizens will be promoted.

identifier:4

identifier:KJ00004529671