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Planting a cherry tree at the Concord Civic Center in honor of the 100th anniversary of the gift of 3,000 cherry trees from Tokyo, Japan, to Washington, D.C., were, from left, Hiroshi Inomata, Consul General of Japan in San Francisco; Concord Mayor Ron Leone; and Michael Pastrick, president of the Concord Ambassadors and former Concord mayor. Concord has had a Sister City relationship with Kitakami, Japan, for 40 years.

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In honor of the 100th anniversary of the gift of 3,000 cherry trees from Tokyo, Japan, to Washington, D.C., a cherry tree planting was held at the Concord Civic Center on May 15.

As part of the centennial celebration, Japan donated cherry tree seedlings to locations in which there is a significant friendship between the nations. Given that Concord has had a Sister City relationship with Kitakami, Japan, for 40 years, they were designated to receive one of the seedlings, which were distributed through the Embassy and Consulates throughout the United States.

On hand for the tree planting were Concord Mayor Ron Leone; Hiroshi Inomata, Consul General of Japan in San Francisco; Kei Hagiwara, Vice Counsul for Intergovernmental Affairs; and Michael Pastrick, president of the Concord Ambassadors (the nonprofit associated with the Sister City program) and former Concord mayor, as well as City Council members, dignitaries and Concord Ambassadors.