Hamburg's Finance Senator on a mission: New economic bridges to Osaka!

Hamburg's Finance Senator on a mission: New economic bridges to Osaka!

Hamburg's Finance Senator Andreas Dressel (SPD) began a week-long delegation trip to Japan today, which is dedicated to the city twinning with Osaka. The aim is to intensify economic relations and provide new impetus for the Hamburg economy. The two cities have been partners for almost 40 years, which is reflected in a lively exchange on many levels, as NDR reports.

A central point of the trip will be the signing of a declaration of intent for closer cooperation in the field of finance. “In uncertain global times, it is more important than ever that we make new contacts,” said Chamber of Commerce President Norbert Aust. The world exhibition EXPO in Osaka will not only be another item on the program, but will also offer Hamburg the opportunity to show its presence in the German pavilion. After all, Japan is Hamburg's 25th most important trading partner.

Architectural highlight of EXPO 2025

Another exciting topic is the upcoming EXPO in Osaka, which will take place in 2025. An impressive architectural symbol of this event will be an enormous ring-shaped wooden roof constructed using the traditional “Nuki” technique. Not only does this roof have a circumference of two kilometers, but it is also made with approximately 20,000 cubic meters of wood, a material that represents Japanese architecture. Architect Sou Fujimoto emphasizes the importance of wooden architecture and that the roof will serve as protection from the elements for the exhibition's guests, as Sumikai reports.

With a diameter of 675 meters and an area of ​​60,000 square meters, the roof will not only be an eye-catcher at the EXPO, but also a symbol of Japan's innovative construction method. However, there are also concerns about rising costs of the materials raised by the city council.

A long-term partnership

The city partnership between Hamburg and Osaka has an eventful history, which began in 1985 with the first impulses from business. After many negotiations and the signing of the partnership declaration in 1989, which took place during the 800th anniversary of the port in Hamburg, the relationship continued to develop. A highlight was the 30th anniversary in 2019, which included various events on Japanese culture. This information comes from the Hamburg Senate Chancellery.

The partnership includes exchange programs, cultural events and close cooperation between universities, including the University of Hamburg and Osaka City University. Over the years there have also been humanitarian actions, such as supporting earthquake victims in Kobe, which impressively underlined the close bond between the cities.

As Dressel begins his journey, Thilo Kleibauer, budget policy spokesman for the CDU, expresses concerns and urgently awaits the results of this important mission. It remains to be seen what new horizons the trip and the planned agreements will open up for Hamburg.