THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, August 3, 1995 TAG: 9508010085
SECTION: NORFOLK COMPASS PAGE: 05 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JOAN C. STANUS, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 67 lines
In 1961, Japanese industrialist Masami Okano became Norfolk's first official visitor from its newly adopted sister city, Moji.
During that visit, Okano toured the city's new Japanese tea garden, being built at the time in the Norfolk Botanical Garden. Okano was so impressed with the wooden retreat, designed in a traditional Japanese ``hill and pond'' motif, that he promised to send a goodwill gift for the garden after he returned home.
Two years later, his gift, a 1,500-pound stone lantern, or ``ishitoro,'' was placed at the garden entrance as a symbolic gesture to dispel international misunderstandings and point the way toward a great friendship between Norfolk and Moji.
Now, some 32 years later, Okano will return to Norfolk to take part in the garden's rededication at 4 p.m. Saturday.
When he arrives, he will find a much grander retreat and a far stronger bond between the two cities than he did in 1961.
Now called Kitakyushu Park in honor of Norfolk's sister city, the garden recently has undergone a $132,000 renovation. (Moji merged with four other jurisdictions in 1963 to become the city of Kitakyushu.)
A water pond, new plantings, improved walkways and a 6-foot-high Japanese stone wall will be added to the retreat, which sits secluded among towering black pine trees, flowering cherry, crape myrtle and corkscrew willow trees.
To celebrate the renovation, the largest delegation of visitors yet from Kitakyushu will visit the city during August. About 30 students, ranging in age from 13 to 28, will live with local residents for two weeks and attend classes at Old Dominion University, take field trips and participate in other activities. Their visit was planned to coincide with the garden's rededication.
In addition, another 120 traditional Japanese tea masters, calligraphers, musicians, masters in martial arts, and other artisans, officials and dignitaries from Kitakyushu also will visit Norfolk for the rededication.
For the last three decades, Norfolk and its sister city have sponsored dozens of cultural exchanges and programs between the two cities. Similar types of cities, Norfolk and Kitakyushu are both major seaports and have taken active roles in creating recreational green space for their residents.
In 1989, in honor of the 30-year friendship, Norfolk officially rechristened its Japanese garden to Kitakyushu Park. ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by RICHARD L. DUNSTON
This 1,500-pound stone lantern was given to the Norfolk Botanical
Garden in 1961.
PARK REDEDICATION
The Norfolk Botanical Garden will be open to the public free of
charge from 2:30 to 7 p.m. on Saturday so residents can join in the
rededication festivities at Kitakyushu Park.
3 p.m. - Activities begin with a traditional Japanese concert.
4 p.m. - The rededication ceremony will take place.
5-7 p.m. - Japanese tea masters will perform a traditional tea
ceremony. Also, demonstrations will be held of calligraphy, Aikido
and Jiujutsu, and exhibitions of children's art and origami will be
displayed.
The Norfolk Botanical Garden is on Azalea Garden Road, next to
Norfolk International Airport. For more information, call 853-8294.
by CNB