Japan – U.S. friendship saplings planted on Peace Boulevard by elementary school students
Nov. 20, 2015
by Michiko Tanaka, Staff Writer
On November 10, 32 dogwood saplings were planted in the greenbelt area along Peace Boulevard in the Nakajima-cho district of Naka Ward, Hiroshima. The saplings were donated to the City of Hiroshima by the U.S. government as a symbol of friendship between the two nations.
Fifty-nine third graders of Nakajima Elementary School, located nearby, planted the young trees, which are 1.5 meters to 2.5 meters in height. They dug with shovels for an hour, aided by gardeners and city officials. Tomoe Nakashima, 9, shared his hopes for the healthy growth of the trees, saying, “It was hard to get them standing straight. Because I often walk through this area, I’d like to watch them closely.”
The U.S. government has donated some 3,000 dogwood saplings to various locations in Japan, between 2012 and 2015, as a friendship project with the Japanese government. The City of Hiroshima received 70 saplings in connection with the 70th anniversary year of the atomic bombing. In April, Caroline Kennedy, the U.S. ambassador to Japan, and Kazumi Matsui, the mayor of Hiroshima, planted five saplings in the greenbelt area along Peace Boulevard. The 33 saplings that remain will be planted in the same area by the end of this fiscal year.
(Originally published on November 11, 2015)
On November 10, 32 dogwood saplings were planted in the greenbelt area along Peace Boulevard in the Nakajima-cho district of Naka Ward, Hiroshima. The saplings were donated to the City of Hiroshima by the U.S. government as a symbol of friendship between the two nations.
Fifty-nine third graders of Nakajima Elementary School, located nearby, planted the young trees, which are 1.5 meters to 2.5 meters in height. They dug with shovels for an hour, aided by gardeners and city officials. Tomoe Nakashima, 9, shared his hopes for the healthy growth of the trees, saying, “It was hard to get them standing straight. Because I often walk through this area, I’d like to watch them closely.”
The U.S. government has donated some 3,000 dogwood saplings to various locations in Japan, between 2012 and 2015, as a friendship project with the Japanese government. The City of Hiroshima received 70 saplings in connection with the 70th anniversary year of the atomic bombing. In April, Caroline Kennedy, the U.S. ambassador to Japan, and Kazumi Matsui, the mayor of Hiroshima, planted five saplings in the greenbelt area along Peace Boulevard. The 33 saplings that remain will be planted in the same area by the end of this fiscal year.
(Originally published on November 11, 2015)
