Nik Hamilton and Shinnosuke Tominaga
The Japan Local Government Centre (JLGC) in London was delighted to support arrangements for Mr Shinnosuke Tominaga, a staff member from Japan’s Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC), to take up a work placement with Sheffield City Council, strengthening the city’s long-standing links with Japan. Originally planned as a six-week secondment, the placement proved so valuable that it was extended, allowing Mr Tominaga to contribute more deeply to Sheffield’s international engagement and development programmes.
Mr Tominaga, who was also pursuing a Master of Public Policy at Oxford University’s Blavatnik School of Government, undertook the placement as part of his wider studies on international governance and city diplomacy. His academic background provided an additional dimension to the exchange, connecting theory with practical experience in local government collaboration.
Innovating Together: Sheffield and Kawasaki’s Developing Partnership
The placement is built on Sheffield’s long-standing relationship with Kawasaki City, an industrial and cultural hub in Kanagawa Prefecture, south of Tokyo. The formal friendship agreement was established in 1990, reflecting growing interest in collaboration between the two post-industrial cities (uk.emb-japan.go.jp, city.kawasaki.jp).
The link was renewed in November 2010, when a delegation led by the Mayor of Kawasaki visited Sheffield to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the agreement. The visit included cultural performances, civic ceremonies, and discussions about deepening economic and innovation links (jlgc.org.uk).
The relationship reflects shared industrial identities. Sheffield, known globally for steel and advanced manufacturing, and Kawasaki, a centre of heavy industry and high-tech manufacturing, have both navigated post-industrial transitions, environmental recovery, and economic diversification. Over the years, the twinning has seen a range of interactions. University links initially fostered the partnership in study abroad opportunities and civic delegations have seen Sheffield’s Lord Mayors and Kawasaki’s Mayors have visited each other’s cities on milestone anniversaries.
A placement with practical outcomes
During his placement, Mr Tominaga was embedded within Sheffield City Council’s international and economic development teams. He worked alongside council officers to map opportunities for business engagement, explore joint initiatives on sustainability and resilience, and identify pathways for Sheffield’s universities and research institutes to connect with Japanese counterparts. He also provided valuable insights into Japanese administrative and policy systems, helping Sheffield focus on the right relationships Kawasaki.
Extending and strengthening the partnership
The extended placement came at a timely moment for Sheffield. The city’s strengths in advanced materials, green energy, digital innovation, and health technologies align closely with the priorities of many Japanese municipalities. With additional time, Mr Tominaga was able to explore further opportunities for Sheffield stakeholders.
Importantly, the placement also reinforced people-to-people links. Mr Tominaga has acted as a bridge for Sheffield to access opportunities in Japan. By extending his secondment, there was more space to support initiatives ensuring the civic and cultural strands of twinning continued to thrive alongside the economy.
The placement’s extension reflected its success. International Lead at Sheffield City Council, Nik Hamilton commented: “This is the first time we have ever done such a placement, utilising the skills of a native speaker from a country where one of our Partner Cities is located and hopefully it won’t be the last! I was impressed at how quickly Mr Tominaga integrated himself into the team and his enthusiasm for the project was impressive. Having access to someone who was able to confidently engage with colleagues from our Partner City of Kawasaki was really beneficial. He was able to significantly increase our knowledge of Kawasaki and helped to formulate many ideas of areas where our two cities have the scope to collaborate in the future. I was absolutely delighted when Mr Tominaga asked to stay on longer than his initial term and on a personal note I enjoyed getting to meet his wife and children, when we invited them over for brunch on the weekend that he brought his family up to visit Sheffield. We have definitely made a connection that will continue beyond the placement having come to an end.”
Shinnosuke Tominaga said: From the way communication is conducted to set up a Teams meeting to the intergovernmental issues between the central and local governments, learning about the differences between the two countries has provided me with an important perspective to view Japanese local autonomy objectively. I deeply appreciate the support from JLGC and the teams in both Sheffield and Kawasaki. I am truly looking forward to seeing the outcomes of the initiatives that have emerged from this friendship in the near future”.
