Japanese garden in Bacolod
Koichi Yamaguchi and Toshiyuki Okubo of the Yamaguchi Landscaping Company of Japan accompanied by Shigini and Thelma Watanabe of OISCA International of Bago City, paid a courtesy call on Bacolod Mayor Evelio Leonardia over the weekend.
Yamaguchi and Okubo are in the city primarily for the creation of an authentic Japanese garden beside the Japanese shrine at Rosario Heights, this city. The garden will actually be a public park and will be a "tie-up" venture among the Homeowners' Association of Rosario Heights Subdivision, the OISCA and the city government of Bacolod.
The project was started November 6 and is estimated to be finished in one month's time, said Thelma Watanabe. It will be maintained by the Barangay Council of Taculing. Turnover ceremonies will be on December 1st, she said.
Yamaguchi was in Bacolod 14 years ago and was responsible for the small Japanese garden in the city public plaza – represented by a big rock facing the Bays Center. 3 Japanese nationals were made honorary citizens of Bacolod for that garden – Koichi Yamaguchi, Engr. Katsutoshi Fukukawa and a Mr. Honda.
During the courtesy call, Yamaguchi proposed to landscape a portion of the new government center grounds for free. Leonardia thanked him for the generous offer and said his proposal will be seriously studied and evaluated.