Iku and Takako had known each other when they both lived in Kentucky.  When Takako returned to Japan, she asked Iku, by then living in Cohasset, if she could help her form a garden club with her friends from Nagoya.  Our then president Ann Pompeo guided Takako to create rules, by laws, and an objective, and to choose officers and committees similar to ours.  Thus, the Garden Club of Nagoya was created.  There were eighteen (18) founding members of NGC, including three (3) originators; there are currently twenty-five (25) members.

Iku was our original liaison with our Sister Club, but we now rotate the position every few years so that more members can have a chance to come to know our Sister Club.  Deb Jenks is currently our Chairperson.  Our two clubs are in frequent touch….  Takako Kohri provides the CGCC with accounts of their monthly events, which we publish in our newsletters.  We send them our yearbook and newsletters.

Nagoya Garden Club’s objective is “to promote interest in gardens, their design and horticultural perfection; to promote interest in conservation of our natural resources; and to conduct programs for the advancement of these and related items.”

Nagoya’s city flower is the lily, and, as sisters, we share the same garden club flower: the dogwood.

Like us, the Nagoya Garden Club meets monthly during their club year.  Their meetings take various forms: workshops, lectures, visits to local sites and field trips to more distant places of interest; and they cover a wide range of topics.  For example, in their workshops they have done stone painting, made clay tea mugs, volunteered to harvest a local Roselle crop, and made miniature sand, pebble and stone landscapes called Bonseki, an ancient art form.  Some of the lecture subjects include physical well-being, nutrition and medicine, conservation, Japanese culture, Nagoya’s roadside trees.  Visits and field trips take them to historic sites, tea houses, botanical gardens, cultural centers and more.  And there are flower arranging demonstrations.  Our sister club has an eclectic and fascinating array of interests!

Our May 2019 general meeting was a visit to Kondo Rose Garden in the eastern suburb of Nagoya.  A new rose, called “Samurai,” was granted the special award from the governor of Aichi Prefecture at the "Aichi Flower Contest" held last November.  The Aichi Prefecture has been enjoying the prime position of floricultural gardening in Japan.  Roses here are planted by a hydroponic system. 

Our April 2019 general meeting was a visit to Sanryo Gardening Center, which is an herb garden located on the east side of Nagoya.  After we listened to a lecture, we planted a variety of herbs in our own single pots to take home with us.  Takako Kohri Recording Secretary

 Our 2017 holiday luncheon was held at "Zur Deele," a famous German restaurant in Nagoya. With sweet music of Shubert's 'Linden Tree' we were served with typically elaborated German dishes.