Nelson Izu-Shi Friendship Society
  • Sister Cities
    • Origins of the Nelson – Shuzenji (now Izu-shi) Relationship
    • NELSON EXCHANGE VISIT TO IZU-SHI - SPRING 2024
    • NELSON EXCHANGE VISIT TO IZU-SHI - SPRING 2019
    • IZU-SHI EXCHANGE VISIT TO NELSON - SUMMER 2019
    • NELSON DELEGATION VISIT TO IZU-SHI - SPRING 2017
    • IZU-SHI DELEGATION VISIT TO NELSON - SUMMER 2017 >
      • The yunomi jyawan
      • celebratory quilt
      • Saturday market
      • Mona Smith's Photos
      • Flashback to summer
  • Friendship Garden
    • A Short History
    • Building the Friendship Gate
    • COTTONWOOD CREEK SIGNAGE PROJECT >
      • COTTONWOOD FALLS PARK SIGNS - SISTER CITIES
      • COTTONWOOD FALLS PARK SIGNS - FRIENDSHIP GARDEN
      • COTTONWOOD FALLS PARK SIGNS - ECOLOGY OF THE CREEK
      • COTTONWOOD FALLS PARK SIGNS - A KTUNAXA COMMUNITY
      • COTTONWOOD FALLS PARK SIGNS - A SINIXT CROSSROADS
      • COTTONWOOD FALLS PARK SIGNS - FISH AND FISHING
      • COTTONWOOD FALLS PARK SIGNS - LAKE TO LAKE
      • COTTONWOOD FALLS PARK SIGNS - A CHANGING LANDSCAPE
      • COTTONWOOD FALLS PARK SIGNS - POWER OF WATER
      • COTTONWOOD FALLS PARK SIGNS - ELECTRIC LIGHT STATION
      • COTTONWOOD FALLS PARK SIGNS - WAGARA RAILING
  • Community Events
    • Community Events 2025 >
      • Hanami (Cherry Blossom Viewing) - April 2025
    • Community Events 2024 >
      • INK PAINTING & JAPANESE BUNRAKU PUPPETRY - APRIL 2024
      • HERITAGE BC FRIENDSHIP GARDEN TOUR - MAY 2024
      • Hanami (Cherry Blossom Viewing) - May 2024
      • BENTO LUNCH COOKING - JUNE 2024
      • Canada Day July 2024
      • LANTERN MAKING ODORI DANCE PRACTICE - AUGUST 2024
      • O-Bon Summer Picnic - August 2024
      • Otsukimi Moon Viewing & Haiku Reading Sept 2024
      • TAIKO DRUM PERFORMANCE - SEPTEMBER 2024
      • CALLIGRAPY & ORIGAMI - OCTOBER 2024
      • Autumn Leaves Oct. 2024
      • NABE - WINTER COOKING SAKE TASTING - NOVEMBER 2024
    • Community Events 2023 >
      • Hanami (Cherry Blossom Viewing) 2023
      • Canada Day July 2023
      • O-Bon Summer Picnic - August 2023
      • Otsukimi Moon Viewing & Haiku Reading Sept 2023
      • Autumn Leaves Oct. 2023
    • Community Events 2022 >
      • Hanami (Cherry Blossom Viewing) 2022
      • O-Bon Summer Picnic - August 2022
      • Otsukimi Moon Viewing & Haiku Reading Sept 2022
      • Autumn Leaves Oct. 2022
      • 35Th Anniversary, Opening The Garden Shed, And Honouring Jim Sawada
    • Community Events 2021 >
      • Hanami (Cherry Blossom Viewing) 2021
      • Canada Day July 2021
      • Olympic & Para Olympic Cycling July 2021
      • Autumn Leaves Oct. 2021
    • Community Events 2020 >
      • Hanami (Cherry Blossom Viewing) 2020
      • Canada Day Tent July 2020
    • Community Events 2019 >
      • Hanami (Cherry Blossom Viewing) 2019
      • Obon Summer picnic - August 2019
      • Onibana Taiko Drumming Performance - August 2019
      • Otsukimi Moon Viewing & Haiku Reading Sept 2019
      • Autumn Leaves Oct. 2019
    • Community Events 2018 >
      • Hanami (Cherry Blossom Viewing) May 2018
      • Canada Day July 2018
      • O-bon Summer Potluck Picnic - August 2018
      • Otsukimi Moon Viewing & Haiku Reading Sept 2018
      • Autumn Leaves Oct. 2018
    • Community events 2017 >
      • Hanami (Cherry Blossom Viewing) May 2017
      • Songs and Laments May 2017
      • Canada Day July 2017
      • Obon Picnic August 2017
      • Otsukimi (Full Moon Viewing & Haiku Reading) Sept. 2017
      • Autumn Leaves October 2017
    • Community Events 2016 >
      • Hanami (Cherry Blossom Viewing) May 2016
      • Canada Day July 2016
      • Obon Picnic August 2016
      • Otsukimi (Full Moon Viewing and Haiku Reading) Sept. 2016
      • Presentation to City Council September 2016
      • Autumn Leaves October 2016
      • Consul General visits Nelson November 2016
  • About us
    • MEMBERSHIPS
    • Executive and board
    • Contact
    • Brochure
Picture

Nelson Izu-shi Friendship Society


​The Nelson Izu-shi Friendship Society welcomes new members who support the goals of the Society.
​​​
The purposes of the Society are:
a) to deepen friendship and mutual understanding through educational, cultural, and economic exchanges with Izu-shi, Shizuoka, Japan;
b) to raise awareness of our sister city relationship through the Cottonwood Falls Friendship Garden and community activities in Nelson and area;
c) to promote world peace and prosperous global relationships through cooperation and goodwill between the sister cities of Nelson, British Columbia, Canada and Izu-shi, Shizuoka, Japan.


Since the Friendship Society was formed in 1987, we have organized visits and exchanges between our two cities. Local families have made new international friends by visiting Izu-shi and then welcoming Japanese visitors into their homes. In 2017 and 2019, multigenerational delegations from Nelson made spring visits to Izu-shi with return summer visits to Nelson the same years. After a five-year interruption due to the pandemic, another multigenerational group of 17 people enjoyed an exchange visit to Izu-shi in March of 2024. We are looking forward to hosting our Japanese sister city friends in the summer of 2025. Our next exchange visit to Izu-shi is planned for the spring of 2026.

In 2003, the Society created the sister city ‘Friendship Garden’ in Cottonwood Falls Park. Building on the vision and leadership of Jim Sawada and Hiro Okusa, the participation of community volunteers, many generous donations, and the support of the two cities, Friendship Society members have continued to develop and care for the garden since then. A new stone planter bed along the market oval connects to the main garden with a pathway through the small Thai Gate behind the bandstand shelter. In recent years, we’ve built the new Friendship Gate and garden beds along with stone steps and viewpoints on the west side of Cottonwood Creek and an attractive Japanese style Garden Shed. In 2024, our volunteers constructed a mobility accessible pathway to help everyone get to the upper waterfall viewpoint. We are grateful to the City of Nelson and the Columbia Basin Trust as well as to our community supporters and suppliers, and of course our volunteers, for their ongoing contributions to this beautiful garden and park.
 
The Friendship Society hosts a number of seasonal cultural events in Nelson to promote the sister city friendship and contribute to Canada’s multicultural society. These include a spring cherry blossom Sakura Hanami, a booth at Lakeside Park for Canada Day, a summer Obon picnic, and a full moon viewing and haiku reading in September. The Fall Autumn Leaves gathering at Cottonwood Falls Park is normally our last event of the year. In 2024, we hosted several cultural workshops and a Taiko Drumming concert thanks to a generous grant from the Japanese Canadian Legacies Society. These events both broadened and deepened our cultural contributions to the community.

In 2018, our Society received a Community Giving Award from Fortis BC. In accordance with the City of Nelson’s nomination letter, we have been working on a project to create display signage for the park to share stories of Cottonwood Creek and its significance in our community. The ten signs in the first stage have been completed and installation is planned for October 2024.

In December 2021, the Friendship Society was very pleased to be recognized and honoured by the City of Nelson as a recipient of a 2021 Sustainability Leadership Award for our work in Cottonwood Falls Park.

In February 2024, our Friendship Garden visionary and builder, Jim Sawada, received a Provincial Medal of Good Citizenship. Jim was recognized for his community volunteering and leadership and his role in creating and maintaining the Friendship Garden. 


In March and early April 2024, a multigenerational exchange group of 17 members was warmly welcomed by new friends and host families in Izu-shi for an unforgettable visit. We experienced wonderful Japanese hospitality and learned about our sister city’s culture and way of life while enjoying a few treasured days together. We also spent some time in Tokyo at the beginning of our visit to Japan and finished with a hike in the mountains near Nagoya, with some people staying on to explore more of Japan.

In October, we finally launched our Cottonwood Creek Display Signage project, five years in the making. Check the COTTONWOOD CREEK SIGNAGE PROJECT page for pictures and info! In December, we were very surprised and honoured by being presented with the City of Nelson’s Heritage Award for 2024.

To join the Nelson Izu-shi Friendship Society and become involved please contact us via our contact page​

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Picture
Photo: Bill Metcalfe - Nelson Star


 


Upcoming Events
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*Click the Menu Headings for the main pages.*
  • Sister Cities
    • Origins of the Nelson – Shuzenji (now Izu-shi) Relationship
    • NELSON EXCHANGE VISIT TO IZU-SHI - SPRING 2024
    • NELSON EXCHANGE VISIT TO IZU-SHI - SPRING 2019
    • IZU-SHI EXCHANGE VISIT TO NELSON - SUMMER 2019
    • NELSON DELEGATION VISIT TO IZU-SHI - SPRING 2017
    • IZU-SHI DELEGATION VISIT TO NELSON - SUMMER 2017 >
      • The yunomi jyawan
      • celebratory quilt
      • Saturday market
      • Mona Smith's Photos
      • Flashback to summer
  • Friendship Garden
    • A Short History
    • Building the Friendship Gate
    • COTTONWOOD CREEK SIGNAGE PROJECT >
      • COTTONWOOD FALLS PARK SIGNS - SISTER CITIES
      • COTTONWOOD FALLS PARK SIGNS - FRIENDSHIP GARDEN
      • COTTONWOOD FALLS PARK SIGNS - ECOLOGY OF THE CREEK
      • COTTONWOOD FALLS PARK SIGNS - A KTUNAXA COMMUNITY
      • COTTONWOOD FALLS PARK SIGNS - A SINIXT CROSSROADS
      • COTTONWOOD FALLS PARK SIGNS - FISH AND FISHING
      • COTTONWOOD FALLS PARK SIGNS - LAKE TO LAKE
      • COTTONWOOD FALLS PARK SIGNS - A CHANGING LANDSCAPE
      • COTTONWOOD FALLS PARK SIGNS - POWER OF WATER
      • COTTONWOOD FALLS PARK SIGNS - ELECTRIC LIGHT STATION
      • COTTONWOOD FALLS PARK SIGNS - WAGARA RAILING
  • Community Events
    • Community Events 2025 >
      • Hanami (Cherry Blossom Viewing) - April 2025
    • Community Events 2024 >
      • INK PAINTING & JAPANESE BUNRAKU PUPPETRY - APRIL 2024
      • HERITAGE BC FRIENDSHIP GARDEN TOUR - MAY 2024
      • Hanami (Cherry Blossom Viewing) - May 2024
      • BENTO LUNCH COOKING - JUNE 2024
      • Canada Day July 2024
      • LANTERN MAKING ODORI DANCE PRACTICE - AUGUST 2024
      • O-Bon Summer Picnic - August 2024
      • Otsukimi Moon Viewing & Haiku Reading Sept 2024
      • TAIKO DRUM PERFORMANCE - SEPTEMBER 2024
      • CALLIGRAPY & ORIGAMI - OCTOBER 2024
      • Autumn Leaves Oct. 2024
      • NABE - WINTER COOKING SAKE TASTING - NOVEMBER 2024
    • Community Events 2023 >
      • Hanami (Cherry Blossom Viewing) 2023
      • Canada Day July 2023
      • O-Bon Summer Picnic - August 2023
      • Otsukimi Moon Viewing & Haiku Reading Sept 2023
      • Autumn Leaves Oct. 2023
    • Community Events 2022 >
      • Hanami (Cherry Blossom Viewing) 2022
      • O-Bon Summer Picnic - August 2022
      • Otsukimi Moon Viewing & Haiku Reading Sept 2022
      • Autumn Leaves Oct. 2022
      • 35Th Anniversary, Opening The Garden Shed, And Honouring Jim Sawada
    • Community Events 2021 >
      • Hanami (Cherry Blossom Viewing) 2021
      • Canada Day July 2021
      • Olympic & Para Olympic Cycling July 2021
      • Autumn Leaves Oct. 2021
    • Community Events 2020 >
      • Hanami (Cherry Blossom Viewing) 2020
      • Canada Day Tent July 2020
    • Community Events 2019 >
      • Hanami (Cherry Blossom Viewing) 2019
      • Obon Summer picnic - August 2019
      • Onibana Taiko Drumming Performance - August 2019
      • Otsukimi Moon Viewing & Haiku Reading Sept 2019
      • Autumn Leaves Oct. 2019
    • Community Events 2018 >
      • Hanami (Cherry Blossom Viewing) May 2018
      • Canada Day July 2018
      • O-bon Summer Potluck Picnic - August 2018
      • Otsukimi Moon Viewing & Haiku Reading Sept 2018
      • Autumn Leaves Oct. 2018
    • Community events 2017 >
      • Hanami (Cherry Blossom Viewing) May 2017
      • Songs and Laments May 2017
      • Canada Day July 2017
      • Obon Picnic August 2017
      • Otsukimi (Full Moon Viewing & Haiku Reading) Sept. 2017
      • Autumn Leaves October 2017
    • Community Events 2016 >
      • Hanami (Cherry Blossom Viewing) May 2016
      • Canada Day July 2016
      • Obon Picnic August 2016
      • Otsukimi (Full Moon Viewing and Haiku Reading) Sept. 2016
      • Presentation to City Council September 2016
      • Autumn Leaves October 2016
      • Consul General visits Nelson November 2016
  • About us
    • MEMBERSHIPS
    • Executive and board
    • Contact
    • Brochure