This year, Riga and Kobe, Japan, celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of their twinning. To mark the occasion, a delegation of Riga City Council and businessmen was invited to Kobe in early November, and during their visit they also visited Zuze, an elephant born in the Latvian capital's zoo and very famous in Japan, presenting her with a heartfelt gift from her homeland – a wooden block with an engraved greeting similar to the one she used to play with as a child.
The visitors had the opportunity to watch Zuze's health check-up, grooming, exercise session and "spa" treatment/care – the elephant exercised, lifted her legs, stretched, sat down, and received the presented block. This was her favourite thing as a child, especially after she left Latvia – Zuze used it to keep herself busy and play with in times of excitement. The original block on display at the zoo, of which there is little left, shows how often it was used.
The elephant rolled the gifted block around with her feet and snout, showing that she is still young at heart, despite her 34 years of age. But you could also tell that Zuze was too focused on lunch and was looking impatiently in the direction of the food. The caretaker mentioned that Zuze is very keen on snacks, and her favourite treats are the same as in Latvia – apples and pumpkins. A balanced diet is very important for elephants, so her shape is carefully monitored and her diet is carefully considered. Zuze was described by her caretaker as a calm, introverted, obedient elephant.
"Zuze is an absolute favourite among zoo visitors – a much-loved elephant by the people of Kobe. As we got closer, she started greeting us with her snout. It was emotional – it was like she was really happy to see us," said Vilnis Ķirsis, Chairman of the Riga City Council.
During his visit, the Mayor of Riga thanked Kobe Oji Zoo for taking care of our animals, because besides Zuze, there are also lynxes brought from Riga. Kobe representatives said that this cooperation – exchanging animals and following their lives – has greatly strengthened the friendship between the cities and human bond. They expressed their hope for fruitful cooperation in the future and plan to come to Riga Zoo as well.
An exhibition dedicated to the anniversary of the twinning of the two cities, created in cooperation with Riga Zoo, is on display at Kobe Zoo until March. It reflects Latvian culture and traditions, information about Riga and Latvia, national costumes, photographs of animals, information about Riga Zoo, also the greetings from 1996, which the children sent as a farewell greeting to Zuze, are preserved, and a video recording of the Song and Dance Celebration can be seen and heard on the screen near the penguins.
Zuze, full name Zuzanna, was born at Riga Zoo on 5 April 1990 and is the first elephant born in Riga. At the age of six, Zuze was brought to Kobe Zoo in Japan to bring joy and help the people forget the troubles of the recent earthquake.
Zuze has a comfortable separate home at Kobe Zoo, where she lives with the male elephant Max who is two years younger than her. The relationship is a bit complicated because Max has hotter feelings than Zuze, but overall the match with the Swiss elephant is very good and the chemistry is good. In Max's absence, Zuze clearly longs for him, so the love in this relationship is also shown by Zuze, and the reunion is always a joyful occasion. Max, however, tends to be jealous and regularly draws attention by throwing sand, especially when Zuze is in the spotlight, as was the case during the visit of the Riga delegation.
Over the years, many guests from Latvia have visited Zuze in Japan. Zuze is also known for having the first baby elephant born in Japan.
In 2016, Eurasian lynxes Al and Ber (named after Alberta Street in Riga) also moved to Japan. The lynxes have recently moved into their new home and are getting used to the amenities. Ber is a very shy lynx – he prefers to spend his time alone, and is much less likely to preen for visitors. Al likes to look for attention, lets himself be admired and photographed.
The 8-hectare Kobe Zoo has been open since 1951 and has 700 animals from 120 different species. The Zoo receives around 0.8 million visitors a year. The Zoo is currently undergoing renovations to improve conditions for the animals.
During the visit of the Riga City Council and business delegation, several important meetings, ceremonies and events are planned; it will be an important step in the long-term co-operation of the two cities in economy, innovation, education and culture, as well as promote the recognition of Riga in Japan.
Riga City Council representatives met with Kobe Mayor Hisamoto to discuss cooperation in development and innovation, as well as exchange symbolic gifts. A session on the ecosystems of start-ups and innovations took place, where representatives of both cities shared their experiences and ideas on business support, as well as meetings of experts in the fields of education. The officials also jointly unveiled a special sound-photo exhibition that will highlight the cultural heritage of the cities of Riga and Kobe. The opening of the exhibition was marked by a musical performance by the choir "Balsis".
The Latvian-Japanese Business Forum also took place, where, together with the JETRO organization, which is working to promote the export capacity of Japanese companies in international markets, representatives of Latvia had individual meetings and presentations in order to develop cooperation between entrepreneurs of both countries and expand investment opportunities.
At the end of the visit, Kobe Biomedical Innovation clusters, the State Agency for Research and Development were visited, as well as Riga representatives became acquainted with the experience of reconstruction of the Sannomiya Centre and urban planning.
The twinning between the two cities began on 18 June 1974, and has since grown, evolved and strengthened, covering various areas important to both cities.
Information was prepared by: Mārtiņš Vilemsons, Project Coordinator at External Communication Division of Riga City Council, email: martins.vilemsons@riga.lv
