Consul General Maeda Visits Fresno State University & Shinzen Garden for Tree Planting Ceremonies to Commemorate the 75th Anniversary of the Atomic Bombings

On Thursday, August 6, Consul General Maeda attended a ceremony at Fresno State University to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. In the ceremony, he helped plant camphor trees descended from those that survived the Hiroshima bombing. During his remarks, he honored the memory of the victims and reflected on their lives so that the same tragedies will not be repeated. He also said that Japan and the US were able to mend their relationship despite the painful history of World War II, and became the closest of friends and allies, due in no small part to the grassroots ties between the two countries, in particular between Fresno and Kochi. To mark the occasion, the County of Fresno, City of Fresno, and City of Clovis each issued a proclamation declaring the week of August 3 through 9, 2020, as US-Japan Peace Week.

Afterwards, he visited Shinzen Friendship Garden, a Japanese garden in Fresno, and helped plant more camphor trees in the hope of further friendship between Japan and the US. As was the case with the camphor trees at Fresno State University, they are descendants of trees in Hiroshima that survived the atomic bombing in 1945.