Sakura from the Sakura Project in full bloom
Beautiful flowering cherry trees – known in Japanese as sakura – have begun blooming at project sites across Toronto and Ontario. The "Sakura Project" was implemented from 2000 to 2012 by the Sakura Committee spearheaded by the Consulate-General of Japan in Toronto. With the original goal of planting 3000 sakura seedlings in the province in 10 years, the project reached its goal and ended the project with a final planting ceremony of the 3082nd tree at the Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre on September 20, 2012. By the end of the successful project, sakura were planted at 58 public green spaces across Ontario. Since the start, the project received $80,003 in donations from generous individuals and businesses, a sign of the good relations between our two countries.
The sakura project has enabled many Ontarians to enjoy the beauty of sakura - particularly in recent years - as it has become very popular. Crowds of people can be seen sitting underneath the full blooms at High Park, Queen’s Park, the University of Toronto, and many other places. Sakura is a symbol of the friendship between Canada and Japan, and the project's aim has been to deepen mutual understanding and promote bilateral friendships.
