People gather in downtown Lima for the Lima Sister Cities Association Cherry Blossom Festival Saturday.
Jacob Espinosa | The Lima News
LIMA —Secretary of The Lima Sister Cities Association Sharon Beckford was worried that the weather would not cooperate for a second straight Cherry Blossom Festival.
But the dozens of people who came out to enjoy the cultural exchange with residents of Harima-Cho, Japan, the blossoms and music from Columbus-based group J Art at the Japanese Garden on the corner of Eureka St. and S. Elizabeth St. could not have asked for a nicer day.
“My family is here with me and we were looking forward to the music and communication with Americans,” Yuki Nishi, whose hometown is near Harima-Cho and lives in Findlay, said. “It is much better than I thought it might be.”
“It’s very nostalgic for me,” said Beckford, who lived in Japan for 20 years. “Cherry blossom time is one of the most celebrated times of the year because after the long winter you see the new life and the blossoms. They bloom beautifully and they fall to the ground just like our lives.”
“The kids love the culture and the history and even trying out some of the food,” Dr. Alyson Amerson said. “For us to be in Lima to have this experience is wonderful.”
“We hope to acquaint the public with some of the beautiful things that Japan has to offer,” Beckford said. “They are a very friendly country and when I lived there, they always wanted to stop and talk to me and visit the U.S. So we just wanted to share with everybody the Japanese culture.”
Beckford said that it was also wonderful to see visitors from Lima’s sister city of Harima-Cho enjoying the nine trees that were donated by middle school students from the city.
“It’s just wonderful,” she said. “The world is a small place and it’s good to share. We’re all human.”
For Beckford, Nishi and Amerson, the event was a total success in that regard.
“I think that’s very important to get the self-awareness and interaction from this event, as well as developing a new respect and understanding for other people,” Amerson said. “it was very educational and an eye-opener. It was nice that it was in a beautiful park in a central area of town for everyone to have access to the music and exposure.”
“It creates a lot more understanding if people get a taste of another culture and you meet face to face rather than just reading about it in the newspaper,” Beckford said.
The Lima Sister Cities Association first started in 1995. For more information, visit their website.
Reach Jacob Espinosa at 567-242-0399.
