Story: Japanese
Japan and New Zealand: two island nations in the Pacific, both with dramatic scenery and prone to earthquakes. Yet in the 19th century they were worlds apart. For decades, Japanese visitors to New Zealand were an exotic rarity, and the Second World War destroyed friendly contact. But new links were established after the war, and today, thousands of Japanese enjoy New Zealand’s wide-open spaces and opportunities for work or study. And Kiwi culture has been enriched by Japanese influences, from pottery and garden design, to karaoke and martial arts.