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
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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Photo: Bill Metcalfe - Nelson Star
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