Just over a hundred years ago in 1925, the Japanese mayors of Kobe and Yokohama gifted the city of Vancouver with 500 cherry trees. The event was intended to honour the many Japanese-Canadians who fought in World War One.
In 1935 local Japanese philanthropists donated a further 1000 trees to Vancouver and thousands more have been planted throughout the city and its suburbs.
in 1959 Japanese Ambassador Toru Hagiwara presented 2,000 Sakura trees to the people of Toronto. The Sakura Project brought an additional 1000 trees to High Park. Spring blossoms are a cherished event in the city.
The above image was captured earlier this week in Vancouver’s VanDusen Gardens, where there are now more than 100 varieties of cherry and flowering plum trees. The Annual Cherry Blossom Festival attracts thousands of visitors and is an unspoken reminder of the bond between Canada and Japan.
“The cherry blossom represents the fragility and the beauty of life. It’s a reminder that life is almost overwhelmingly beautiful but that it is also tragically short.” ~ Homaro Cantu
