A fundraising project aimed at planting 1,000 cherry trees across parks in Britain — meant as a symbol of bilateral friendship — is about to begin.
The project has been organized by Japanese individuals and companies in both countries who hope initially to plant between 50 and 60 of the iconic Japanese trees across four major parks in London next autumn, followed by a commemorative ceremony in spring 2020, the year when Tokyo will host the Olympics and Paralympics.
If successful, the project would not be the first example of cherry-blossom diplomacy. Japan has previously gifted thousands of cherry trees to Washington D.C., where they are now celebrated in an annual festival.