TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen (盧秀燕) departed for Japan from Feb. 24 to March 1 to strengthen city diplomacy.

Before boarding her flight, Lu said she wanted to deepen exchanges with Tokyo and Nagoya, CNA reported. Mutual visits help build relationships, she said.

Lu said visiting Japan was one of her top priorities as mayor. Due to COVID-19 and other commitments, she had to delay her plans. 

Another objective is to learn from Japan’s experiences building stadiums, Lu said.

Taichung is already constructing a domed stadium but plans to build a large-scale dome capable of hosting baseball games and major international entertainment events. Lu is set to visit four stadiums in Sapporo, Nagoya, and Tokyo.

She emphasized that Japan is an important and friendly nation to Taiwan and Taichung.