Akita Prefecture

Akita City, Akita International University

On May 9, 2014, 20 Friendship Blossoms dogwood trees were planted at Akita International University in Akita City, Akita Prefecture. The trees were requested by the America-Japan Society of Akita in celebration of their 10th Anniversary. Their organization is in a friendship agreement with the Japan-America Society of Minnesota.

Oga City, Oga Athletic Park

In June 2015, 20 Friendship Blossoms dogwood trees were planted in Oga Athletic Park. The planting was a part of the 10th Anniversary celebration of New Oga City and represented a symbol of U.S.-Japan Friendship. An American B-20 crashed into a mountainside near Oga due to bad weather on August 28, 1945, the final phase of WWII. Oga City townspeople conducted a rescue effort and saved the only living crewman from the crashed B-29. In 1990, 45 years later, Norman H. Martien, the rescued American, was invited back to Oga and reunited with the Kamo people. An empty tomb was placed on top of Mt. Shizan and a memorial service takes place every year. 

Fukushima Prefecture

Fukushima City, Amway Soma House

Twenty dogwood trees were planted and commemorated on November 26, 2014 at the Amway Soma House in Fukushima City, Fukushima Prefecture. The planting was carried out by volunteers from Amway Japan. Soma House is one of many Community Houses built by Amway after the 3/11 disaster.

Iwaki City

The Bridging Foundation is proud to announce that on April 26, 2014, 50 trees were planted in Fukushima Prefecture, in Iwaki City. Iwaki is an industrial port city and the second largest city in Fukushima Prefecture. We support the Tohoku region in its ongoing recovery efforts, and we send our dogwoods as a sign of hope for a blossoming city.

Iwate Prefecture

Hanamaki City, Hanamaki Nitobe Museum

On April 17, 2015, a dogwood planting ceremony was held at the Hanamaki Nitobe Museum in Iwate Prefecture where 22 dogwood trees were planted. Photos by the Hanamaki International Exchange Office of the planting ceremony are available for view here. 

Hirono Town, Taneichi Athletic Park

 On July 5, 2014, 20 Friendship Blossoms dogwood trees were planted at the Taneichi Athletic Park in Hirono Town, Iwate Prefecture.

Ichinoseki City, Murone Town, Hikobae no Mori Community Center

 On June 1, 2014, 50 Friendship Blossoms dogwood trees were planted at the Hikobae no Mori Community Center in Murone Town, Ichinoseki City, Iwate Prefecture. For more than 25 years, the Murone community, along with Kesennuma City's "Love the Oyster Forest" group, has been planting trees to create a prosperous ecosystem, providing essential nutrients for sea life off the coast via water flow through inland forests. The group's slogan is "the forest is the ocean's lover," and efforts to foster understanding and connections between the coastal and inland communities has only strengthened after the devastation from the Great East Japan Earthquake.

Kamaishi City, Kamaishi City Owataribashi Hashizume Park, Kamaishi Station Rotary

On April 27, 2013, 27 Friendship Blossoms dogwoods were planted at Kamaishi City Owataribashi Hashizume Park and Kamaishi Station Rotary in Kamaishi City, Iwate Prefecture, through the generous support of Nippon Steel & Sumimoto Metal Corporation. Kamaishi City is one of the Tohoku-region cities affected by the disasters of March 11, 2011. 

Nodamura Village, Remember Hope Village

40 Friendship Blossoms dogwood trees were planted on December 14, 2015 in Nodamura Village, Iwate. The planting celebrated the January opening of the Remember Hope Village (nicknamed "Nema Ru"), a new community space dedicated to the concept of lifelong learning. Located in the Tohoku region, this planting symbolizes U.S.-Japan cooperation with recovery efforts during the aftermath of the Great East Japan Earthquake. Jeff Adler, Deputy Cultural Affairs Officer and Amway Japan President Peter Strydom were among the guests who attended the ceremony. This was the final planting of the Friendship Blossoms - Dogwood Tree Initiative, with the 3000th tree planted in Nodamura Village. (see photo above)

Ofunato City, reconstruction area

During the aftermath of the Great East Japan Earthquake, the U.S. dispatched search and rescue teams to Ofunato City who worked alongside Japanese citizens to rebuild the city. 60 Friendship Blossoms dogwood trees were planted in the reconstruction area to commemorate their joint cooperation in helping Japan recover from the disaster.

Tanohata Village, Kitayama Forest Park

On June 27, 2014, 40 Friendship Blossoms dogwood trees were planted at Kitayama Forest Park in Tanohata Village, Iwate Prefecture. The trees line the Dogwood Road scenic walkway between the Kitagawa Recreation Center and the Kitayama Forest Park.

Miyagi Prefecture

Ishinomaki City, Senshu University

Since its founding in 1989, globalization has been a central theme to Senshu University's philosophy and the school has developed cultural and educational exchange programs in various countries. Senshu University has a partnership agreement with Washington University and an exchange program with Seattle Pacific University. During the Great East Japan Earthquake, the campus of Senshu University became a central point of recovery activities and today it continues its role of rebuilding the community. Ambassador Kennedy visited the campus in September 2014. The planting of 20 Friendship Blossoms dogwood trees on April 25, 2015 represents a strong bond between Japan and the United States. 

Iwanuma City, Kukominami Park

In the emergency recovery from the Great East Japan Earthquake that occurred March 11, 2011, the U.S.-conducted mission "Operation TOMODACHI" was carried out in Sendai Airport, located in Iwanuma. Due to U.S.-Japan cooperation, Sendai Airport was able to reopen earlier than expected. To honor the strong friendship, 50 Friendship Blossoms dogwood trees were planted in Kukominami Park in April 2015. Iwanuma City has a sister city relationship with the city of Napa, CA and a close friendship with Dover, DE. 

Minamisanriku Town, Amway House Minamisanriku Portal Center

On August 1, 2013, 40 trees were planted at the Amway House Minamisanriku Portal Center, in Minamisanriku Town, Miyagi Prefecture, through the generosity of Amway Japan G.K. Minamisanriku is one of the cities deeply affected by the disasters of March 11, 2011. 

Misato Town, Princess Winona statue, Emi Higashi Nigo Park

In 2014, 22 Friendship Blossoms dogwoods were planted in Misato Town, Miyagi Prefecture. Misato Town formed a sister city relationship with Winona, Minnesota in 2001. In honor of their long and fruitful relationship, the township built a statue of Princess Winona, the symbol of Winona, by the JR Kogata train station. Five of the dogwoods were planted near this statue as a symbol of the connection with the city of Winona whose citizens raised funds for Misato Town after the 2011 disaster. The remainder of the trees were planted in the nearby Eki Higashi Nigo Park. The Bridging Foundation is thrilled to contribute via its citizen diplomacy efforts to the recovery of the Tohoku region. 

Sendai City, Takasago Central Park, Yagiyama Zoological Park, Agriculture Gardening Center

The Kioi Sinfonietta Tokyo (KST) chamber orchestra was invited to perform the closing concert of the 2012 Cherry Blossom Music Festival, with performances at Verizon Hall in Philadelphia, the National Gallery of Art in Washington DC, Sanders Theatre in Boston, and Alice Tully Hall in New York. The tour celebrated the centennial of Japan's 1912 gift of cherry blossoms trees to the U.S. and Japan's gratitude to the U.S. for supporting the victims of the 2011 Great Japan East Earthquake. The planting of 60 Friendship Blossoms dogwood trees on November 26, 2015 symbolizes the strong friendship between the U.S. and Sendai.