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Japan to donate 6,500 cherry trees to Britain

People enjoy a picnic under cherry trees in full bloom in the Japanese capital Tokyo on March 27, 2019. (AFP/file)
People enjoy a picnic under cherry trees in full bloom in the Japanese capital Tokyo on March 27, 2019. (AFP/file)
27 Nov 2019 10:11:24 GMT9
27 Nov 2019 10:11:24 GMT9

London

Japan will donate about 6,500 cherry trees to Britain as a symbol of the bilateral friendship, with a ceremony to plant some of them held in Regent's Park in central London on Wednesday.

The event was attended by Prince Richard, Japanese Ambassador to Britain Yasumasa Nagamine, British government officials and lawmakers, officials of companies and individuals that provided funds for the cherry tree donation project, and students of primary schools accepting cherry trees.

The project has been led by a Japanese private-sector team and supported by the Japanese and British governments.

"What better way to commemorate the longstanding friendship between the people of the United Kingdom and Japan, than the planting of Japanese cherry trees that will live on for future generations to enjoy," Prince Richard, the Duke of Gloucester, said.

"The response we have had from all across the UK...has been amazing," Keisaku Sano, joint chief of the project team and head of the Japan Association in the UK, said. "It is testament to the strong relationship between the two countries, and we hope the trees will be a lasting tribute to that."

Hopes are growing that the "cherry tree diplomacy" will further deepen the bilateral relationship, observers said.

In a well-known case, thousands of Japanese cherry trees were sent to the United States and planted along the Potomac River in Washington about a century ago.

In Japan, annual cherry blossom-viewing parties funded by the state and hosted by the prime minister have been a contentious issue recently, due partly to an alleged lack of transparency in the criteria by which guests are selected.

An official of the Japanese embassy in London, which took charge of sending invitations to potential guests to Wednesday's cherry tree-planting ceremony and confirming whether they would attend or not, said that the guest candidates were chosen by the project team.

"We're indirectly supporting the project in light of the importance of the event," the official said.

[Jiji Press]

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