Blossoming the unwavering attachment to Miyazu, Nelson’s sister city in Japan, for what will be five decades in 2026, was the theme of Sunday’s Hanami Celebration.
Hosted by the Nelson Miyazu Sister City Association and the Nelson Japan Society, the event at the acclaimed Miyazu Japanese Gardens shone with ubiquitous sights from the Land of the Rising Sun.
Spring picnics under cherry blossom trees, kimonos, songs by Nelson’s JapaNZ kids, and a Kendo (controlled sparring with bamboo swords) demonstration from the Shoshin Kendo Club were in full bloom.
A traditional Soran Bushi dance by a group of Nayland College international students and Miyazu’s conventional Odori dance were the cherries on top.
Event spokesperson Sue Knox says she hoped attendees left more acquainted with Japanese culture and the Nelson-Miyazu relationship.
“It’s lovely to embrace different cultures… [we hope that] people really enjoy being in the garden and are aware of what’s going on, and they learn a little bit more about the culture and the talents and the traditions of Hanami,” she says.
