Page 6 - Ninnau Jan-Feb 2021

1,000 Cherry Trees to be

Planted in Parks and Friends of

Schools Across Wales NINNAU & Y DRYCH

On December 4, The First Continued support of Ninnau is much appreciated.
Minister of Wales, The Rt. Hon
Mark Drakeford, joined Ninnau means ‘us’ and it is everyone’s paper.
Ambassador Yasumasa The support received from those listed below helps
Nagamine, Japan’s Ambassador support Welsh culture in North America.
to the UK, for the first formal Donations received through December 6.
planting in Wales of the 1,000
cherry trees gifted to public
parks and schools across Wales
to celebrate the enduring friend-
ship between Wales and Japan. Olwen Anderson; Mifflinburg, Pennsylvania
The initiative will be a lasting
legacy from the Japan-UK William & Donna Fanning; Orange, California
Season of Culture 2019-2020
and is made possible by dona-
tions from Japanese businesses. Rebecca Frankenberry; Schenectady, New York
St Fagans National Museum
of History, has received twenty David Lewis; The Villages, Florida
cherry trees, some of the first The Welsh Launch of the project took place with a planting
trees to be planted in Wales. ceremony at St Fagans attended by Mrs Morfudd Meredith, Claudio Manzolillo; Houston, Texas
The Sakura Cherry Trees will Lord Lieutenant of South Glamorgan, Ambassador Yasumasa
be distributed to over 65 schools Nagamine, Mark Drakeford, MS, First Minister of Wales, the
and colleges all over Wales and Joint Chairman of the Sakura Cherry Tree Project, Keisaku Joanna Matsumura; Issaquah, Washington
to the cities of Cardiff, Bangor, Sandy Sano and local schoolchildren from the Japanese
St. Asaph, Swansea and Margaret Pemberton; East Brunswick, New Jersey
Newport. Saturday School and Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg, Plasmawr,
The National Botanic Garden Cardiff. Robert Penry; London, Ohio
of Wales in Carmarthenshire by Japanese businesses and Keith Dunn, OBE, Honorary
and Conwy Castle in North individuals. Consul for Japan in Wales said:
Wales, twinned with Himeji Yasumasa Nagamine, “Wales and Japan have a Taylor Williams; Gladwyne, Pennsylvania
Castle in Japan, will also Japanese Ambassador to the UK strong relationship developed
receive trees. said, “We hope that people all over more than 100 years. At
The Welsh Launch of the pro- over Wales will join with us in the heart of the relationship is a
ject took place with a planting embracing this chance to deep- desire for mutual understanding Diolch o galon.
ceremony at St Fagans attended en mutual understanding, thus and to learn from each other’s
by Mrs Morfudd Meredith, Lord helping to create an enduring way of life, culture and history.
Lieutenant of South Glamorgan, legacy. “These trees are a strong sym-
Ambassador Yasumasa “Yet the Sakura Cherry Tree bol of our friendship that can be
Nagamine, Mark Drakeford, Project will not just represent supported and enjoyed by future News from Wales~ GOVERNMENT
MS, First Minister of Wales, the the lasting impact of the Japan- generations and I hope these
Joint Chairman of the Sakura UK Season of Culture but will plantings, particularly at this Summarized by Lise Hull
Cherry Tree Project, Keisaku be a wider celebration of the current time, will be embraced
SUPPORT for Welsh independence has jumped 10 percent
Sandy Sano and local school- cordial ties between Japan the by our communities for the in just a year, a new poll by YouGov suggests. The latest poll
children from the Japanese UK and Wales. future.” puts support for independence at 33 percent, compared to 22
Saturday School and Ysgol “Just like our relationship, David Anderson, Director percent in early December 2019. YesCymru, which commis-
Gyfun Gymraeg, Plasmawr, these trees will grow stronger as General, Amgueddfa Cymru sioned the poll, said it showed support for independence was
Cardiff. they mature and, each year said: “the strongest it’s ever been.” Independence polls over the last
All of the varieties of cherry when they blossom, I hope they “We are delighted to be year have shown a steady increase, they say.
trees to be planted as part of this bring joy to people across involved in the Sakura Cherry THE WELSH Senedd has given 16- and 17-year-olds the
project are of Japanese origin. Wales and remind them of the Tree Project. Two years ago, we vote in council elections in Wales. The Local Government &
The vast majority will be of deep friendship between our were proud to host, at National Elections Bill includes a number of changes, including extend-
three varieties, ‘Beni-yutaka’, two nations and peoples.“ Museum Cardiff, KIZUNA: ing the franchise to 16- and 17-year-olds and qualifying foreign
‘Taihaku’, and ‘Somei-yoshi- Keisaku Sandy Sano, Founder Japan | Wales | Design - the citizens legally resident in Wales for local government elec-
no’, which have been chosen for and Joint Chairman of the most significant exhibition on tions. The bill also includes better job-sharing opportunities and
their variation in colour, timing, Sakura Cherry Tree Project Japanese culture ever staged in paid leave for adoptive parents. Councils will also be able to
and historical significance. For Team said “The response we the four nations outside London. decide what electoral system they use and will be required to
example, ‘Taihaku’ is a large, have had from all across Wales, Major Japanese museums have electronically broadcast meetings of their full council that are
single white blossom variety, has been amazing. It is testa- recently hosted a touring exhibi- open to the public, as they take place, and to make the broad-
which became extinct in Japan ment to the strong relationship tion of works of art from our casts available online for a reasonable period after the meeting.
but was reintroduced to its between our countries, and we collections, and we plan further A ROAD in the Vale of Glamorgan has been recognized in
homeland by Britain’s hope the trees will be a lasting collaborations. the Constructing Excellence in Wales Awards 2020, as the St.
Collingwood 'Cherry' Ingram in tribute to that. Many Japanese “The Sakura Cherry Tree Athan Northern Access Road was awarded the Civils Project of
the Year. The new £15 million road was opened on Sept. 30,
1932. corporations have decided to, Project is a testament to the 2019. It was funded by the Welsh Government and built by
Most of the 1,000 trees will through the Japan-British strong relationship between Alun Griffiths (Contractors) Ltd, from Abergavenny. The road
be planted across Wales this Society, generously donate to Wales and Japan, and a lasting provides access to Bro Tathan Business Park—home to major
autumn 2020, following the this project. I am deeply grate- symbol of the Japan-UK Season occupiers including Aston Martin Lagonda, eCube Solutions
planting of the trees in St ful for all the efforts and sup- of Culture. The cherry trees will and Bristow Helicopters. It therefore acts as an important eco-
Fagans. This permanent and port given by people and corpo- be enjoyed by visitors of St nomic link, enabling inward investment and encouraging future
lasting symbol of the enduring rations both in Japan and UK to Fagans National Museum of development. Construction of the road created substantial
friendship between Wales and this project.” History for years to come.” active travel provision as well as benefits to biodiversity. A
Japan has been entirely funded bespoke lighting scheme designed with Natural Resources
Wales is in place to mitigate the impact on dormice and bats,
while consultation with a fish ecology specialist led to a
uniquely designed stream culvert to assist with the passage of
fish through their habitats.
PLANS MADE HAVE been revealed to reopen Cardiff City
Center’s canals as the council sets outs its vision to tackle cli-
mate change over the next decade and reduce carbon emissions
in the city to net zero. The council wants to open up the
Churchill Way Canal Dock Feeder and restore the City Center
waterway to manage rainwater more sustainably. The project is
part of the wider redevelopment of the area around Guildford
Crescent, which could soon be named the Canal Quarter. The
plans to restore the canal come as part of several projects in the
council’s new One Planet strategy to get Cardiff carbon neutral
by 2030. Cardiff could soon grow a lot more food locally, with
plans to grow food hydroponically in a shipping container in
Bute Park; letting community groups grow food on Council-
owned land; and making space on new housing developments
for growing food. A “major tree planting exercise,” perhaps in a
local tree farm, could see the amount of trees in the city
increase by a quarter, to absorb carbon dioxide and help prevent
flooding. How people get around the city could also change
with the Cardiff Crossrail, a train and tramline from Creigiau to
St. Mellons; a Cardiff Circle tramline; more bus lanes and bike
lanes; and a congestion charge, which the council is still explor-
ing.

Sources on p30

Page 6 NINNAU - The North American Welsh Newspaper January-February 2021
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