Seventy paintings and drawings by children of the Tsuruga City School of Japan were sent for exhibition in Toowoomba schools in 1968. Paintings and drawings by Toowoomba students were sent back to Japan. Exhibitions of this art were arranged at Tsuruga and the neighbouring town of Fukiu City.

Having established firm contact with the Rotary Club of Tsuruga, a formal “Sister Club” relationship was formed in 1969.

In September 1986, President Shuichi Kadono, along with three members of the Tsuruga Rotary Club in Japan, visited Toowoomba. The visit was in celebration of their club’s 30th anniversary and in recognition of the sister club relationship which had existed between our two clubs for many years. During their four day visit, we showed them some of the sights of Toowoomba, including the Japanese garden project being constructed by the Darling Downs Institute of Advanced Education and Toowoomba City Council. After they returned to their club, we were advised that the Rotary Club of Tsuruga would donate three hand carved stone lanterns to the Japanese Garden. These were received early in 1987, and proved to be a very worthwhile contribution to the project. Thanks to several people in the shipping, export and transport industries, we were able to have the lanterna transported from Japan at no cost to the club.

In 1988, the club had the pleasure of two visits from PP Shuichi Kanono of the Tsuruga Rotary Club, the first in August, when, while on a fortnight’s visit to Australia, he spent three days in Toowoomba and was entertained by the Club. His second visit was in March 1989, when, accompanied by his wife, he came to Toowoomba for the opening of the Japanese Gardens, to which his Rotary Club had donated three magnificent stone lanterns. Unfortunately, due to extremely bad weather, the opening has to be postponed for some three to four weeks. Mt Kadono had already left Japan before the decision to postpone was made. The Club entertained Mr and Mrs Kadono during the three days they were here and sent him a video of the opening ceremony when it eventually took place.