An 80-year-old Japanese English-language educator has collected donations for a project that aims to send hundreds of cherry blossom trees to Slovakia, as Japan and the central European country mark 100 years of diplomatic ties this year.
Masumi Ormandy is the vice principal and a co-founder of Tokyo-based Pacific Language School. But her more recent career as a jazz singer led to exchanges with a Slovakian musician, and from there, she decided to help out with the project initiated by the Japanese Embassy in Slovakia.
"I hope this will lead people who see the cherry blossoms to think of Japan, and those who donated them will visit the country to see the cherry blossoms," said Ormandy.