Annual Idaho Falls - Tokai-mura Sister City Delegation visits Japanese Pavilion construction site

The Sister City delegation from Tokai-mura, Japan, visited Idaho Falls the week of July 4th. There was a reception in the Japanese Garden and they stopped by to explore the pavilion. The ham wearing the cowboy hat is Edward Zaladonis.

While in Idaho, they visited several local attractions and attended social functions in the evenings. They visit every other year and are usualy in the 4th of July Parade. There is a little history on Sister Cities in the History update post.

Tokai-mura showed me a great time when I visited several years ago. I expressed an interest in traditional Japanese architecture, landscaping and koi ponds. They arranged for short visits to homes that were hundreds of years old and looked like movie sets. Some homes had priceless koi and bonsai. We were welcomed by the modern families living in them. We were lucky to also have longer visits with families that lived in modern homes where we could get to know them.

I enjoyed getting up at sunrise each morning and exploring Tokai-mura neighborhoods alone before the organized tours. I met several gardeners. Most of these strangers invited me in for a tour and tea. I hope they enjoyed my company as much as I enjoyed theirs.

Tokai-mura donated funding for the ornamental tiles shown here. They also made a generous donation to the garden project. Most tiles and the other materials are paid for by donations from the public, local organizations, and the City of Idaho Falls. All design and construction work is done by volunteers.