Students from a high school in Rotorua's sister city Beppu officially welcomed

Students from Beppu Shosei High School were officially welcomed to Rotorua. Photo/Stephen Parker

Students from a high school in Rotorua's sister city Beppu, Japan, have been officially welcomed to Rotorua, with this year marking 30 years of the relationship.

Students from Beppu Shosei High School were welcomed on Tuesday at the Rotorua council chamber.

Beppu is in the southern island of Kyushu, Japan.

Mayor Steve Chadwick says she is proud to be celebrating the 30th anniversary of the sister relationship Rotorua has with Beppu.

She says Western Heights High School has a long relationship with Beppu high schools, which started in 2001.

Beppu Shosei High School principal Nobuaki Karashima says he is deeply grateful to Mrs Chadwick and the people of Rotorua for accommodating their visit and holding the "heart-warming" welcoming ceremony.

He says last year Rotorua students visited Beppu for a friendly game of rugby and some Japanese students are still in contact with Western Heights High School students.

"I hope the friendship between Beppu and Rotorua will continue for a long time."

He says they have come to Rotorua to gain communication skills in English and were looking forward to their students becoming friends with the local students and their host families.

Each student received a gift and then they sang two songs in Japanese for those there to welcome them.

One of the students also gave a speech which included thanks for the gifts and how they hope for a life-long friendship between Shosei High School and Western Heights High School.

She says they would like to learn a lot more here and take the learnings back home with them.

"We will never forget our memories in Rotorua."

Last week, a Beppu delegation was officially welcomed to Rotorua as they came to both mark the 30th anniversary and study how a major rugby game is hosted in preparation for the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan.

Some of the delegation attended the Maori All Blacks versus British and Irish Lions game while others watched from the Official Fan Zone at the Energy Events Centre.