As part of a delegation visiting Japan’s Kansai region, Klon Lin, Director of the Digital Affairs Bureau of the Taichung City Government, paid a formal visit to Amagasaki City Mayor Matsumoto Shin on July 31. The two sides engaged in in-depth discussions on digital transformation strategies and net-zero digital point mechanisms, aiming to jointly advance smart governance and digital upgrades through international city-to-city cooperation.
Amagasaki City, which located between Osaka and Kobe, is actively building a digital citizen platform as part of its broader digital reform. Amagasaki City Mayor Matsumoto Shin thanked Director Lin for sharing Taichung’s experience and innovations, particularly the development of the Taichung PASS (TCPASS) platform. Lin presented the platform’s journey and wide-ranging features, underscoring how digital tools can enhance public services and administrative efficiency.
With a population density ranking among the highest in Hyogo, Amagasaki is historically a manufacturing powerhouse, home to numerous precision machinery and machine tool enterprises—industrially aligned with Taichung. Since taking office in December 2022, Mayor Matsumoto has prioritized urban digitalization by appointing a Chief Digital Policy Officer to unify and accelerate digital efforts across city departments—mirroring the direction set by Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-Yen, who also began her second term in December 2022 and pioneered the establishment of Taiwan’s first Digital Affairs Bureau at the local government level.
Director Lin expressed his honor in representing Mayor Lu during this cross-border exchange and emphasized Taichung’s twin-track strategy focused on digital and net-zero transformation. He reiterated Mayor Lu’s vision that “Digital capability is city’s competitiveness,” outlining Taichung’s ambitions to evolve into a globally recognized smart city.
Mayor Matsumoto welcomed the delegation warmly and even mentioned seeing a photo of Director Lin and Mayor Lu together on Instagram. He expressed excitement about learning from Taichung’s digital development journey and anticipated fruitful collaboration between the two cities.
During the meeting, the Amagasaki City Government shared insights into the planning and implementation of its Amagasaki Coin system and arranged a hands-on experience of the initiative at the restored historical site, Amagasaki Castle. According to Taichung’s Digital Affairs Bureau, Amagasaki’s approach to digital development offers valuable takeaways for Taichung. The Bureau hopes this visit will serve as a launchpad for deeper engagement, building a sustainable partnership between Taichung and Amagasaki through mutual learning and collaborative innovation in the era of digital governance.
