Hokkaido: Tibet House Japan’s Sakura flower tree plantation project to commemorate the Year of Compassion, celebrating H.H. the Dalai Lama’s 90th Birthday in Japan, concluded with the plantation of 113 Sakura trees at Hokkaido Shimizu Town Park by Shimizu Town office and the residents on 24th May.

Yasuhiro Tsuji, Mayor of the Shimizu Town; Dr. Tsewang Gyalpo Arya of the Liaison Office H.H. the Dalai Lama; Noriyuki Konno, the head of the Shimizu Agriculture Cooperative; and Awa Rikoto of the Sapporo Friends of Tibet planted the last two trees at the ceremony symbolising the completion of the Sakura plantation project before the media and Shimizu residents.

The Mayor of Shimizu town expressed great joy and satisfaction at being a part of the events celebrating the 90th birthday of H.H. the Dalai Lama and the dissemination of His Holiness’ message of peace and compassion around the world. He said that these Sakura trees will grow and remain to demonstrate the effort of the Tibetans and Japanese to pray for world peace and remind the people of H.H. the Dalai Lama’s message of peace, compassion, and non-violence.

Representative Tsewang Gyalpo Arya thanked Mayor Tsuji and the residents of Shimizu Town for their goodwill and cooperation in celebrating the Year of Compassion and planting 113 Sakura trees in the park. He said that in all, more than 200 Sakura trees were planted throughout Japan by people representing different Monasteries, jinja, and support groups to wish His Holiness the Dalai Lama a long, healthy life and to reaffirm their commitments to His teachings of peace and compassion. Japanese translation of the booklet of poems by H.H. the Dalai Lama on the sacredness and importance of trees were distributed to the audience.

Last year, in the month of August, Mayor Yasujiro Tsuji and his staff visited the Tibet House Japan to deliver the Autumnal harvest of the town as offering to H.H. the Dalai Lama.

Representative Dr. Arya, along with the Mayor and staff of the Shimizu Town office and the residents, participated in the Tsurugi Yama Fire Festival, where Rev. Souko Yagata, the Abbot of Shomyoji Temple, presided over the Fire offering rites and Fire-walking practice.

Photo exhibitions and a talk on the H.H. the Dalai Lama’s life and missions were organized at the Shomyoji Temple’s main hall. Rev. Soukou Yagata welcomed the audience and spoke on his experience of meeting and attending the teachings of H.H. the Dalai Lama at Koyasan in 2011. He expressed his pleasure of being able to associate with the Tibet House to share H.H. the Dalai Lama’s teachings at the Temple.

Representative Dr. Tsewang Gyalpo Arya thanked the Temple for the opportunity to do the photo exhibitions and talk to the people on the life and missions of H.H. the Dalai Lama. He offered Khata, Tibetan traditional white scarves, to the Abbot Rev. Souko Yagata and the Shimizu Town Mayor Yasujiro Tsuji. Representative Arya explained the four missions of His Holiness: the promotion of human values; promotion of religious harmony; preservation of Tibetan culture; and revival of the ancient Indian Nalanda traditions. He further explained how these four missions are related to world peace and later attended to the questions from the audience.

Japanese translation of books by His Holiness and Tibet related information brochures were distributed freely during the exhibition and the talk sessions. Tselha of the Tibet House Japan Awa Rikoto of the Sapporo Friends of Tibet accompanied the Representative on this Hokkaido tour.

A similar two-day photo exhibitions and talk programs will be held next week at Hagyudera Temple in Shikoku Island.

-Report Filed By Office of Tibet, Japan