Opening ceremony of Japanese garden at Ghent University

On 20 October, Ambassador Ishii and his wife, together with Ms. Kurihara, attended the opening ceremony of the “Ransho Garden” (Garden of the Origin) at Ghent University. Kanazawa, Sister City of Ghent, donated and relocated “Ransho Garden” to Ghent University. The Japanese rock garden was originally made for Ghent Floralien in April this year. After welcoming speeches of Dean of the Faculty of Literature and Philosophy Marc Boone, Ambassador Ishii and Mayor of Kanazawa Yukiyoshi Yamano, Mayor Yamano announced the official opening of the garden. He did this not by cutting a ribbon, but by cutting a twig at the entrance of the garden.

The garden, which is at the centre of the courtyard of Ghent University’s Faculty of Literature, is open to the public since 20 October. It has already become a place where the exchanges of the City of Ghent and the City of Kanazawa can be felt.