BOX

Description: THE BOX IS A DARK BROWN COLOR, WHILE THE INTERIOR IS MUCH LIGHTER. THERE ARE NO MARKINGS ON THE ENTIRE BOX SAVE FOR THE VERY BOTTOM WHERE CHARACTERS CAN BE SEEN (JAPANESE?) THE WOODEN BOX ITSELF IS CONTAINED INSIDE A RED PAPER BOX THAT HAS A WHITE COVER. FOAM INSIDE THIS PAPER BOX IS USED TO CUSHION THE WOODEN BOX WHEN IT IS INSIDE. FINALLY, THERE IS A LETTER INSIDE WHICH IS FROM "MR. TOSHIO TAKAZAWA, MAYOR" OF "KUROHONE VILLAGE". THE LETTER ADDRESSES THE SUCCESS OF THE JAPAN - CANADA EXCHANGE PROGRAM. ON THE LETTER, IS A HAND WRITTEN NOTE IDENTIFYING THE BOX AS BEING A "200 YEAR OLD CEDAR BOX".

History: THIS BOX WAS GIVEN TO THE CITY OF LETHBRIDGE DURING THE STUDENT EXCHANGE PROGRAM BETWEEN LETHBRIDGE AND JAPAN. ACCORDING TO S.E. ASIAN PHILOSOPHY, IT IS NECESSARY TO GIVE A GIFT TO THE HOST COUNTRY DURING AN OFFICIAL VISIT. *UPDATE* IN 2014 COLLECTIONS ASSISTANT JANE EDMUNDSON CONDUCTED A SURVEY OF ART OBJECTS, INCLUDING THOSE INITIALLY GIVEN TO THE CITY OF LETHBRIDGE THROUGH VARIOUS EXCHANGES WITH CITIES IN JAPAN. LETHBRIDGE HERALD ARTICLES FROM 1992, 1997, AND 1998 DETAIL THREE SEPERATE EXCHANGE PROGRAMS WITH HIKARI, SEKI CITY, AND KUROHONE-MURA, JAPAN. LETHBRIDGE CITY COUNCIL DECLINED HIKARI'S OFFER OF AN OFFICIAL TWINNING ARRANGMENT IN 1992 DUE TO BUDGET LIMITATIONS AND BECAUSE OF PRIOR TWINNING WITH OTHER CITIES INCLUDING SAINT-LAURENT, QUEBEC, CULVER CITY, CALIFORNIA, AND HENGSHUI CITY, CHINA. ST. FRANCIS JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL RAN A STUDENT EXCHANGE PROGRAM WITH SEKI CITY FROM 1993 TO 2003 AND LETHBRIDGE COMMUNITY COLLEGE HOSTED STUDENTS FROM THE VILLAGE OF KURHONE ANNUALLY FROM 1994 TO 2006. DURING THESE EXCHANGES, DELEGATES FROM THE JAPANESE CITIES REGULARLY MET WITH LETHBRIDGE MAYOR DAVID CARPENTER AND GAVE CEREMONIAL GIFTS, AS IS CUSTOM IN JAPAN. SEE PERMANENT FILE P19980048017 FOR HARDCOPIES OF SOURCE NEWSPAPER ARTICLES.