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 by welcoming Japanese visitors into their homes. In 2017, multigenerational delegations from Nelson and Izu-shi made reciprocal visits to celebrate our 30th anniversary as sister cities. Similar exchange visits also took place in the spring and summer of 2019 and we have begun to explore other kinds of sister city cooperation. Please note: our next exchanges have been postponed until at least 2023 due to the Covid pandemic.
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. 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. We are grateful to the City of Nelson and the Columbia Basin Trust as well as to our community supporters and suppliers for their ongoing contributions to this beautiful garden and park.
The Friendship Society normally 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 2021 Autumn Leaves gathering at Cottonwood Falls Park was our first event in two years.
In 2018, our Society received a Community Giving Award from Fortis BC. In accordance with the City of Nelson’s nomination letter, we are now in the process of creating display signage for the park to share stories of Cottonwood Creek and its significance in our community. Installation of ten signs is planned for the spring of 2022.
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 2022, we will be marking our 35th sister city anniversary. 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 by welcoming Japanese visitors into their homes. In 2017, multigenerational delegations from Nelson and Izu-shi made reciprocal visits to celebrate our 30th anniversary as sister cities. Similar exchange visits also took place in the spring and summer of 2019 and we have begun to explore other kinds of sister city cooperation. Please note: our next exchanges have been postponed until at least 2023 due to the Covid pandemic.
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. 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. We are grateful to the City of Nelson and the Columbia Basin Trust as well as to our community supporters and suppliers for their ongoing contributions to this beautiful garden and park.
The Friendship Society normally 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 2021 Autumn Leaves gathering at Cottonwood Falls Park was our first event in two years.
In 2018, our Society received a Community Giving Award from Fortis BC. In accordance with the City of Nelson’s nomination letter, we are now in the process of creating display signage for the park to share stories of Cottonwood Creek and its significance in our community. Installation of ten signs is planned for the spring of 2022.
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 2022, we will be marking our 35th sister city anniversary. To join the Nelson Izu-shi Friendship Society and become involved please contact us via our contact page
