Seto City has concluded friendship affiliations with Jingdezhen, China, Limoges, France, Nabeul, Tunisia and Korea, Ichoen.

Overview of Limoges:

Limoges, located on the west side of the central mountain ranges in France, is the regional capital of the Limousin region and also serves as a capital of Haute Vienne prefecture. Its population is about 135,000, almost the same as Seto City.

It takes one hour and ten minutes by air from the Orly airport of Paris to the Bellegarde airport of Limoges and from there a 15 minutes trip by car to the city center. Access by train takes a little over 3 hours from Austerlitz station of Paris to Limoges.

About half the population is engaged in ceramic-related work. Other developed industries include medical science, electronics, electric industries, machine industries and agriculture. Exchanges with overseas countries are also active. The main industries of Limoges are ceramic ware manufacturing, footwear, metal products, machinery, electric devices, furniture, automotive parts and printing. Ester Technopole (a space for exchanging　 technology research information) and nearby universities are implementing research and developing the most advanced technology for use in the ceramics field.

Overview of Jingdezhen:

Jingdezhen is located in Kiangnan Province of China, about 600km west from Shanghai, and holds 1.4 million citizens within area of about 5,800km².

Jingdezhen has developed as one of the world’s prominent ceramic cities because of the nearby Kaolin Mountain that produces high-quality ceramic raw material (kaolin) and the abundant firewood used as fuel. Jingdezhen is called the “city of ceramic tiles” and has influenced Japanese ceramic culture.

Currently, about half of the population is engaged in ceramic-related work.

Overview of Nabeul:

The Republic of Tunisia is located on the North end of the African Continent.The country extends from the Mediterranean Sea, in the North and the East to the Sahara Dessert in the South. Tunisia became independent from France in 1956, but the French influence remains even to this day.

Nabeul is a main city of Cap Bon in the Northern part of Tunisia and its population is about 60,000. The City is famous for its ceramic wares and produces a wide range of ceramics including jugs, pots and vases. The City receives many visitors, from inside and outside of Tunisia, looking for Nabeul pottery.

Outline of Ichoen City:

Icheon is a major city of Kyonggi-do, a prefecture located in the northwest of the Republic of Korea. It is about 50km southeast of Seoul, about an hour’s drive.

This city has a population of about 193,000 people. Blessed with mild climate and crystal stream, it is known as a production district of good rice and fruits.

To add, being rich in quality porcelain clay, the city has been prosperous as a town of ceramic art since ancient times. Today, it is a town with the tradition of ceramic art. A large number of ceramic artists, who have gathered in this city, have inherited the tradition of Korean ceramic art. A ceramic ware festival is held from September to October every year.

On April 20, 2006, a sister city relationship was established between Ichoen City and Seto City when a signing ceremony was held at the City Hall of Ichoen.