Tosashimizu City

(March 11, 2015) On Februaru 8, 2015, 20 Friendship Blossoms dogwood trees were planted at Tosashimizu Park in Tosashimizu City, Kochi Prefecture. As the birthplace of John Manjiro, a pioneer of U.S.-Japan relations, Kochi Prefecture has undertaken to maintain and develop the friendship between the countries. In particular, in memory of the friendship between Manjiro and Captain William Whitfield, who rescued Manjiro when he was a castaway, the Manjiro Festival is held each year. The location alternates between Manjiro’s hometown of Tosashimizu and Whitfield’s Massachusetts hometown of Fairhaven. This festival has become a locus of grassroots international cooperation between our two countries.