On 2nd March 2021 the City of Bangor received a gift of Sakura Cherry Trees to celebrate the enduring friendship between Wales and Japan.
A thousand Cherry Trees were gifted to public parks, schools and cities across Wales, with the first tree planted by the First Minister of Wales, the Rt. Hon Mark Drakeford MS and Ambassador Yasumasa Nagamine, Japan’s Ambassador to the UK, in December 2020. The initiative will be a lasting legacy from the Japan-UK Season of Culture 2019-2020 and is made possible by donations from Japanese businesses.
In Bangor, the majority of the Cherry Trees have been planted in Ashley Jones fields, with others located across the City, including the grounds of Bangor University and Penrhyn Castle.
The Mayor of Bangor Cllr John Wyn Williams said: “On behalf of the residents of Bangor, Bangor City Council expresses its gratitude to Japan for their generosity and gift to the City.
“We welcome the Sakura Cherry Trees and they will be an asset for Ashley Jones fields and in other locations, something that current and future generations can enjoy and appreciate.”
Talking about the project Former Japanese Ambassador to the United Kingdom Koji Tsuruoka said: “The Sakura Cherry Tree Project came about with the desire of the Japanese to share the sakura trees with their friends in the UK.
“From its grassroots beginning, it was welcomed by the Prime Ministers of both countries. This Project is part of the Japan-UK Season of Culture, which aims to celebrate the friendship between our two countries.
“Thousands of cherry trees planted in parks, schools and public spaces will grow as a symbol of the longstanding friendship that has evolved between our two countries and will continue to do so. I would like to express my utmost appreciation to those who have helped bring the Sakura Cherry Tree Project into being.”
