NAGANO -- Last weekend in Johannesburg, 65,000 people were limbering up for the U.N. World Summit on Sustainable Development.

Meanwhile in Kurohime, an hour's drive north of Nagano, two events last Sunday were of far greater significance to most of those involved than anything likely to emerge from Earth Summit II.

First, on a hillside at the Dowakan (Fairy Tale Hall), Her Majesty's Ambassador Sir Stephen Gomersall took center stage, shovel in hand, to plant an English oak as part of 2002's U.K.-Japan Green Alliance. Later, he explained, "The 1902 Anglo-Japanese Alliance is often referred to as a peak in Japan-U.K. relations and Japan's standing in the world.

"To celebrate that centenary in a nonpolitical or militaristic way, we wanted to create a project to bring people together and engage young people. Recalling that the Queen planted two English oaks in Tokyo in 1975, we decided to import 200 saplings and invite people through the Web to suggest sites where to plant them. Well, it's wonderful, because we've had to import more."

After touring the event's Peter Rabbit exhibit and Bash-the-Rat and Welly-Throwing sideshows, Sir Stephen and the assembled local dignitaries moved on down to one of Kurohime's beautiful valleys, to the C.W. Nicol Afan Woodland Trust. This 20-hectare hillside was bought, over the last 17 years, by the Welsh-born, now-Japanese national, novelist and naturalist (and Japan Times columnist) whose name it bears.

On May 31, however, "Nic" signed the property over to the Trust "to ensure it will be preserved for the future as a living example of good forest management, and a place to teach people about nature."

But it is the other element of the Trust's name -- Afan -- that holds the key to Sunday's event. Meaning in Welsh, "a valley where the wind blows," it is the name of the 230-sq.-km Afan Forest Park near Nicol's birthplace of Neath in South Wales. And on Sunday, to the strains of "Land of My Fathers" played live on harp and flute in the woods, the ambassador, the Welsh park's manager and chief ranger, Richard Wagstaff, and Nicol signed into existence the world's first "sister" woodlands.

"I couldn't have been more proud, pleased and honored that Stephen and Richard were with me, and to see the looks of delight on the faces of all the friends, local people and prefectural officials there," Nicol said.

Wagstaff, on his first visit to Japan despite being involved in projects with Nicol for 16 years, was equally effusive. "I'm immensely proud to be here," he said. "I hope to encourage young people in Wales to work with Nic and come here to learn about conservation and Japanese culture, and for Japanese people to visit us in the same way.

"To begin with, we are planting 15 species of Japanese trees in a section of our park, and are looking for a Japanese sculptor to create a centerpiece. After that we have so many more ideas to expand this link and involve more and more people from both countries."

"It's been the happiest day of my life," Nicol said later -- a sentiment echoed by his forester for 13 years, Nobuyoshi Matsuki, who declared: "When I started, I never dreamed of this day. Now, I hope people will see what's happening here and want to copy it. It's all about having a feeling of thanks for nature."