Japanese Tea Garden
In 1973, the Mayors of Napa, California and Iwanuma, Japan signed a document that officially linked the two cities in a bond of friendship. in 1981, funding for the Japanese Tea Garden was gifted to Napa by the sister city of Iwanuma, Japan. The Napa-Iwanuma Sister City committee determined that the garden would be installed on the campus of Napa Valley College, and the garden was completed in 1982. As noted in the Napa Valley Register (6/19/81), "the whole intent of the garden is to cleanse the spirit of worldly stain and to enter the teahouse (which would be the college) in a spirit of true friendship." The Japanese Tea Garden was therefore located at the formal entrance to the campus, next to the flagpoles.
As part of the Cultural Spaces Initiative at Napa Valley College which is designed to create more spaces that reflect the diversity of the students that we serve, the Japanese Tea Garden has been undergoing a rehabilitation under the expert guidance and design of landscape designer, John Hayes. Mr. Hayes is a former student of Napa Valley College and approached the college two years ago to volunteer his time and expertise to bring the garden back to a healthy and beautiful state. Another valued community member, Mr. Bill Imada, also contacted the college (independent of Mr. Hayes) to volunteer to work on reviving the Japanese Tea Garden. Our work on this garden, therefore, is a wonderful example of college and community synergy focused around culture and inclusion.
The restoration and rededication of the garden has been made possible by generous gifts from Mr. Bill Imada and Mr. John Hayes, and is part of the Cultural Spaces Initiative at Napa Valley College.
Timeline of Napa-Iwanuma Sister City Relationship
1955
St. Paul, MN, established a sister city relationship with Nagasaki 10 years after the US dropped an atomic bomb there.
1956
Sister City program established during President Eisenhower’s administration. Program established as a way to build internation cooperation at the local level in the aftermath of WWII.
1972
Hiroshi Tanaka presents a course on Japanese gardening at Napa College during Fall 1972. “Tanaka will share with students his experience with the imperial gardens of Japan and a book of drawing and prints for which he was primarily responsible” (Napa Register, “Continuing Education Program, Napa Community College District,” 8/14/72).
1973
Napa-Iwanuma sister city relationship established on January 2, 1973.
“With memories of World War II still fresh in the minds of citizens of both the U.S. and Japan, Napa had put out the welcome mat in the early ‘70s to attract a Japan Air Lines pilot training facility, said Ron Greenslate, a sister city organizer.”
“Student pilots were feted with holiday meals in Napa homes and other welcoming events, Greenslate said. Because Iwanuma was another JAL training site, Napa leaders picked it as a friendship city” (Napa Valley Register, 2/12/2008).
1974
Napa delegation visit to Iwanuma. Japan’s national TV network filmed a documentary about the visit. Several other delegate visits in the years following.
Eleven Napa delegations to Iwanuma in the period between 1974 and 2011
1981
Iwanuma donates money that they’ve been collecting over several years to Napa Valley College for the construction of a Japanese Tea Garden. NVC’s Director of Maintenance and Operations, Dan TerAvest, conducts research and designs garden. “The whole intent of the garden is to cleanse the spirit of worldly stain and to enter the teahouse (which would be the college) in a spirit of true friendship” (Napa Valley Register, “Japan Promises Napa College a Tea Garden,” 6/19/81).
1982
Japanese Tea Garden at NVC established.
2008
Charles Ray planning an excursion to Iwanuma for the cherry blossom period. Advertised in article in Napa Valley Register.
Napa Valley College singers perform in Iwanuma.
2011
Fundraiser to raise funds for Iwanuma following 9.0 earthquake and tsunami in Sendai (20 miles north of Iwanuma).
2018
45th anniversary of Iwanuma-Napa Sister City relationship. Iwanuma delegate visit to Napa (included mayor of Iwanuma, Hiroo Kikuchi. Ceremony at Napa City Hall welcoming the group, exchanging gifts, and honoring Charles Ray for his long-term chairmanship of the Sister City Committee. October 26 delegate visit to NVC.
References
Courtney, Kevin. “Napa’s link with Japanese sister city reaches 35th anniversary”
Consulate General of Japan in San Francisco (page on Northern and Central California Sister Cities in Japan)
https://www.sf.us.emb-japan.go.jp/itpr_en/e_m07_06_01.html
Napa raises thousands for Japanese sister city
https://www.timesheraldonline.com/2011/03/25/napa-raises-thousands-for-japanese-sister-city/
Help from the U.S. for Afflicted Sister Cities in Japan
https://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/20/us/20sister.html
NVC Singers in Japan – 2008
https://nvcsharepoint.napavalley.edu/academics/StudyAbroad/Pages/NVCSingersJapan2008.aspx
Help continue Napa’s sister city tradition
(copy and paste entire timeline with links)