Latest news with #BronwynThomson
Otago Daily Times
01-08-2025
- General
- Otago Daily Times
Photo exhibition to help spread anti-nuclear message
Dunedin-Otaru Sister City Society members (from left) Taruko Stewart, Robin Thomas, Bronwyn Thomson and Noel Campbell set up the Hiroshima Nagasaki 80th memorial photo exhibition yesterday. PHOTO: PETER MCINTOSH Visiting Hiroshima has motivated a Dunedin woman to spread awareness about the devastating impact of nuclear weapons. The Dunedin-Otaru Sister City Society has put up a display to mark 80 years since atomic bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan. The exhibition was a part of an outreach project from the Hiroshima Peace Museum that four other centres in New Zealand were taking a part in. Sister city society member Bronwyn Thomson said the project was an attempt to raise awareness that there should never be another Hiroshima or Nagasaki. She remembered visiting Hiroshima in 1998 and it having a profound emotional effect on her. "It's not somewhere you can visit without tears. You cry every time you go." It made her realise the impact weapons such as atomic bombs could have on people. Ms Thomson wanted to help people think of other solutions to conflict than dropping nuclear weapons. She was hopeful the exhibition would help bring awareness of the catastrophic event to people who were not able to visit Hiroshima and experience it firsthand. The exhibition opens today at the HD Skinner Annex building across the museum reserve lawn from Tūhura Otago Museum at 10am.
Otago Daily Times
11-06-2025
- Otago Daily Times
Sister-cities relationships explored in podcast
Nathan Woodfield hosts the Dunedin-Otaru Sister City Podcast on OAR FM. PHOTO: SUPPLIED A new radio show and podcast is exploring the rich cultural connection between Dunedin and its Japanese sister city, Otaru. The programme is hosted by Nathan Woodfield, secretary of Dunedin-Otaru Sister Cities Society. Growing up in Osaka, he lived there until age 10, when his parents returned to their New Zealand homeland. He subsequently returned to Japan to work in the Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Programme, which is aimed at promoting grassroots international exchange between Japan and other nations. The first episode of the series featured a conversation with Bronwyn Thomson, a local high school teacher of Japanese language. Ms Thomson talked about her experience learning the language, and shared stories from her visits to Japan. In episode two, Mr Woodfield told his own story and covered some of the history of Otaru. He said he was looking forward to speaking with Dunedin locals who have a Japanese connection, and to people from Dunedin now living in Japan. The podcast will also promote local events, such as the Hiroshima-Nagasaki 80th Memorial Photo Exhibition to be held at the H.D. Skinner Annex, Tūhura Otago Museum, in August. "It's really special that from 10,000 kilometres away we can join in a global call for peace." Dunedin-Otaru Sister City Podcast is broadcast every fourth Monday at 6pm on 105.4FM and 1575AM. Podcasts are available from and other major platforms. A full schedule of OAR FM programmes can be found at By Jeff Harford
