A Trip to Australia and New Zealand
Wellington - Volendam at Dockside
In 2010, the Japanese Government listed New Zealand as its fourth most important trading partner after the United States, Australia and China. Japan's principal exports to New Zealand are listed by the Japanese as being vehicles, petroleum products, and printing machinery while it's principal imports from New Zealand are aluminum, cheese, fresh fruit, casein and something listed as "confidential items." Japan has invested more than two billion dollars in New Zealand and Japanese visitors to New Zealand top 100,000 annually. Interest in Japan is on the rise within New Zealand with about 30,000 New Zealanders studying the Japanese language in New Zealand and more than ten thousand Kiwis studying in Japan proper.
The New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Relations and Trade's official view is that "Japan is a major bilateral and regional partner of New Zealand and one of New Zealand's anchor trading relationships." The ministry rates Japan as being New Zealand's third largest export destination and fourth largest trading partner overall. The ministry adds high quality coal, forest products, seafood and tourism services to Japan's list of imports from New Zealand. It lists New Zealand's major imports as including vehicles, machinery, appliances, computers, chemicals, telephone and broadcasting equipment, as well as iron and steel.
These wonderful murals of figures from the Edo of Katsushika Hokusai have been painted on the terminal buildings adjacent to the pier where we docked. They required a walk around the corner of the buildings facing the ship and we almost missed them, but fortunately caught a glimpse of them when we were returning to the ship after our perambulations around Wellington. They speak very powerfully to the improved relationship between Japan and New Zealand since 1945. Given the statistics outlined above about the importance of trade between the two countries it is fitting that they are on buildings associated with shipping and trade.
