Discover Yokosuka 横須賀奥旨: Return Gift from U.S. for Cherry Trees: Dogwood Trees

For as long as the U.S. Navy has been located in Yokosuka, there are remarkably few permanent signs of its presence, which mostly is confined to the areas inside the base fence-lines ..... Yes, there is the Dobu-ita/Honch bar, restaurant, and entertainment district in the downtown area ..... but apart from that, not much to show that 23,000-or-so people from America have been living and working here for over 70 years...

However, there ARE the 25 dogwood trees, brought all the way across the Pacific Ocean, and planted along Route 16 in front of Yokosuka City Hall in December 2014 ..... They are still small and several years away from blooming, but some day they will, and then they will be eye-pleasing symbols of Yokosuka's ties with the U.S.

Here is the story:

Quote:

In 1912, Tokyo gave the United States a gift of 3,000 cherry trees as a token of friendship between the two nations. Over time, these beautiful trees have become an iconic symbol of our nation’s capital and a very visible reminder of the deep bond between the United States and Japan. Even though the average life-span of a cherry tree is 60 years, some of the original trees are still living today; they are an emblem of the longevity and strength of our bilateral relationship.

In commemoration of this gift, and in anticipation of the next 100 years of U.S. – Japan friendship, the people of the United States would like to express our gratitude by offering a gift of 3,000 dogwood trees to the people of Japan through the Friendship Blossoms Initiative. These dogwood trees will be planted in Tokyo and all over Japan, including in the Tohoku region recovering from the Great East Japan Earthquake of 2011, as an enduring symbol of our friendship.

Twenty-five Friendship Blossoms dogwood trees were planted along Route 16 and in Yokosuka Shiyaku-sho-mae Park in Yokosuka City, Kanagawa Prefecture on December 10, 2014. Since 1962, Yokosuka has been a sister city of Corpus Christi, Texas and for the last 42 years has exchanged two high school students annually. The dogwood trees were requested with the goal of increasing awareness of cultural and educational exchanges between the two countries.

Unquote.

https://www.bridgingfoundation.org/friendship-blossom-project

The dogwood tree is famous in the Southern region of the United States for its flowering beauty and cool shade. The blossom, a four pointed white blossom tinged with red at each edge, is the state flower of North Carolina. In the fall, the leaves turn brilliant shades of scarlet to reddish purple and bright red fruit appears in small clusters. The fruit is not very tasty for humans, but is usually devoured by birds. Dogwood bark has long been considered to have medicinal properties as a fever reducer. The wood of the dogwood tree is very hard and durable and has been used to make various items including tool handles and golf clubs.