Nishinomiya, Japan
Nishinomiya, with a population of 490,000, is a city named for “Living, Culture and Education.” The city in Hyogo Prefecture lies between Osaka and Kobe. It is surrounded by the natural splendor of the Rokko Mountain range to the north and Osaka Bay to the south.
Imazu Lighthouse, Mayor David Condon led the 55th Anniversary Spokane delegation, posing at the historic 21-foot tall lighthouse in Nishinomiya.
A centerpiece of the Connections Sister Cities Garden in Spokane’s Riverfront Park is the 11-foot-tall replica of the Imazu Lighthouse in Nishinomiya, Japan.
Manito Park’s Japanese Gardens
Nishinomiya-Tsutakawa Garden
The late Edward M. Tsutakawa, along with Spokane Mayor Neal Fosseen and others, led the effort to create the Sister City Partnership on Sept. 17, 1961. Using three noted landscape gardeners from Japan, the garden was completed in May 1974, at the opening of Spokane’s Expo ’74 World’s Fair. In April 2008, the Japanese Garden was renamed for Ed.
“A Japanese garden is a reminder of life. It uses sadness or tragedy and finds the beauty in it.”
– Ed Tsutakawa