Adachi Ward's Japan-US Cherry Blossom Centennial 足立区：日米桜寄贈100周年記念式典
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Entering Toshi Nogyo Park along Arakawa River in Adachi Ward, Tokyo. The centennial ceremony was held during the Goshiki Cherry Blossom Festival in April 2012.
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Toshi Nogyo Park has numerous cherry trees from America. These trees were planted here 30 years ago from American saplings taken from cherry trees which originally came from Adachi Ward in 1912. They are called "homecoming trees" (里帰りの
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On April 22, 2012, Adachi Ward in Tokyo marked the centennial of its cherry tree gift to the US. The ceremony was held at Toshi Nogyo Park along the Arakawa River in Adachi Ward. The mayor of Adachi and other dignitaries attended and gave...The ceremony was held at Toshi Nogyo Park along the Arakawa River in Adachi Ward. The mayor of Adachi and other dignitaries attended and gave speeches. The day's events included tree-plantings, sumo exhibition matches, and slide show talks by people who went to Washington, DC. This is a flyer for the centennial ceremony.
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The cherry trees sent to Washington, DC in 1912 came from cherry trees growing along the Arakawa River in the Kohoku area (江北) of Adachi Ward. However, those cherry trees died by the end of WWII. Adachi Ward later undertook a project to regrow the...Adachi Ward later undertook a project to regrow the cherry trees with saplings taken from the trees in Washington, DC.
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The ceremony began at 10:30 am with music performed by local junior high school bands.
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The ceremony started at 10:30 am with music by local school bands, followed by short speeches by local officials. There were no representatives from the US government.
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A good crowd was present, including local dignitaries.
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The Honorable Adachi Ward Mayor Yayoi Kondo (近藤やよい), organizer of this commemorative ceremony, said a few words. See my Youtube video below for an English translation.
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Adachi Ward Mayor Yayoi Kondo (近藤やよい). See my video for an English translation of her speech.
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This ceremony was jointly held by the private Japan-US Sakura Exchange Centennial Event Committee and Adachi Ward. Committee Chairman Makoto Suzuki (鈴木誠) speaks. He is a professor at Tokyo University of Agriculture.
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Committee Chairman Makoto Suzuki (鈴木誠), professor at Tokyo University of Agriculture.
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Takao Kurita of the Nihon Sakura Society presented letter to Adachi Mayor Kondo..."We will now have a presentation of a seedling sent from a cherry tree along the Potomac River in Washington, DC last year in March. It is being raised by the Nihon Sakura Society who will make the presentation. Since the seedling is still small, a letter of intent will be presented instead and the sapling will be planted in this park later when it is large enough."
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"A sapling to mark the centennial of the cherry tree gift to the US will hereby be presented. On this day April 22, 2012, from Nihon Sakura Society Chairman Takahiro Yokomichi."
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Shigeru Yoshioka, Chairman of the Adachi Ward Council. The MC also read a message from Bob Taft, former Governor of Ohio and great-grandson of President Taft.
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They introduced people or the descendants of people who worked to bring cherry blossoms to America and Adachi Ward. Tadao Shimizu. grandson of Kengo Shimizu who was the Kohoku Village mayor in 1886 when he proposed to line the Arakawa River with cherries.Tadao Shimizu. grandson of Kengo Shimizu who was the Kohoku Village mayor in 1886 when he proposed to line the Arakawa River with cherry blossoms. It eventually lined 6 km of over 3,000 cherry trees.
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Setsu Funatsu, wife of Kanematsu Funatsu, a sakura researcher and grandson of Seisaku Funatsu a Kohoku Village native who studied and helped to cultivate hardy cherry trees after the initial trees to Washington, DC was found to be infested with insects.
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Kit Pancoast Nagamura, the great-granddaughter of botanist David Fairchild who brought the cherry trees from Japan to Washington, DC.She also writes for The Japan Times.
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Kijiro Kakuta (角田喜次郎), went to the US in Jan. 1981 to collect saplings from cherry trees which originally came from Adachi Ward. It was to mark Adachi Ward's 50th anniversary and the start of planting the "sato-kaeri" cherry trees
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Jun'ichiro Chidani principal of Tokyo Metropolitan Engei High School, an agricultural high school. He helped to raise the dogwood sapling that will be planted today.
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Sapling from the Reagan Sakura ready to be planted.
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Tree planting of a sapling from Reagan Sakura.
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Tree planting of a sapling from Reagan Sakura bythe Adachi Ward Mayor and others.
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A planting ceremony was held by the Adachi Ward woman mayor and other officials. This is a sapling from the Reagan Sakura tree.
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Reagan Sakura sapling planted at Toshi Nogyo Koen Park in Adachi Ward, Tokyo.
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Next they had dogwood tree planting. From a dogwood plant given by the US in return for the cherry blossoms in 1912.
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A dogwood sapling was also planted by the mayor and descendants of people who worked to replant cherry trees in Adachi.
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All done.
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Dogwood tree sapling planted.Tokyo Adachi-ku Toshi Nogyo koen Park sakura cherry blossoms centennial flowers us-japan
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Dogwood tree sapling planted.
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Dogwood flower from a tree given by America as a return gift for the cherry trees in 1912. (ハナミズキ).
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My video of the Japan-US Cherry Blossom Centennial ceremony in Adachi Ward, Tokyo.
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Local taiko drummers also performed well after the ceremony. They were part of the Goshiki Sakura Festival.
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These cherry trees are from America. The park has 29 species of cherry blossoms. Most of them, like these Kanzan trees, bloom later than the Somei Yoshino trees.
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At this Koryu Kaikan hall in the park, they had an exhibition and slide show lectures.
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At this Koryu-kan hall in the park, they had an exhibition and slide show lectures.
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Slide show lecture about the US-Japan cherry blossoms.
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A goodwill group from Adachi Ward visited Washington, DC for the Cherry Blossom Festival celebrating the centennial.
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People who went to the slide show lectures received a small gift.
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This is a small vase with soil and flower seeds.
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"America" cherry trees (similar to Somei Yoshino) from America at the park. Already finished blooming.
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About the cherry trees given to the US and the dogwood from the US as a return gift.
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"America" cherry trees, from saplings taken from the cherry trees in Washington, DC which originally came from Adachi Ward.
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"America" tree tag.
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"America" Somei-Yoshino cherry trees from America at the park when in bloom. This was in late March.
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"America" Somei-Yoshino cherry trees from America at the park when in bloom. They are planted for a few hundred meters along Shin-Shibakawa River behind the Visitors Center. This was in late March.
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"America" Somei-Yoshino cherry trees from America at the park when in bloom. This was in late March.
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ID tag for "America" Somei-Yoshino cherry tree from America at the park. It now has a QR code linking to a Japanese webpage explaining the species.
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Tulips along the Arakawa River in Adachi Ward, Tokyo. The Adachi Ward logo is on the left with "80" below it to mark the ward's 80th anniversary.
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On the right is a cherry blossom design with "100" below it for the centennial of Adachi's sakura gift to Washington, DC.
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Tulips with cherry blossom design with "100" below it for the centennial of Adachi's sakura gift to Washington, DC.
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Closeup of the tulips.
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I love red and white flowers, Japanese symbol of felicitation.
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I love red and white flowers.
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Tokyo Sky Tree in sight from Adachi Ward along the Arakawa River.
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