A delegation led by Haruichi Ogasawara, mayor of Noboribetsu, Hokkaido, Japan, embarked on a tour in Guangzhou on Nov 19, expecting to carry out deep cooperation with Guangzhou in areas spanning culture, tourism, and education.

Representatives from six other places including Muroran and Toyako, were also part of the delegation.

Noboribetsu, a famous hot springs resort in Japan, established sister city relations with Guangzhou in 2012. It has since been carrying out frequent communication and cooperation with the city in tourism and culture.

"This is my sixth tour in Guangzhou and I can feel the charm of Guangzhou's rapid development every time I come here. Guangzhou delicacies impress me a lot," said Ogasawara.

Ogasawara said that it was the first time for seven places around Noboribetsu to promote themselves in Guangzhou together. He added that Hokkaido has received many Chinese tourists, especially those from Guangzhou, in recent years.

"Yet we still hope more tourists from Guangzhou can visit Hokkaido as the scenery there is very special, especially the snow and hot springs. We are looking forward to promote our cities to Guangzhou and other Pearl River Delta cities," added Ogasawara.