Kasugai Gardens offers more then just a tranquil environment.

The gardens were complete in 1987 to symbolize the friendship between Kasugai in Japan and Kelowna, sister cities since 1981.

To this day the friendship between the two cities remains very much united thanks to Yukihisa Tanaka.

"Back in the late 1970's my dad served as a translator. He moved to Kelowna and married my mom. Shortly after he got a visit from the Japanese Community from Kasugai. That is where it all started," said Herb Tanaka.

The Circle of Friendship statue on display at the Kasugai Gardens in Kelowna recognizes Yukihisa Tanaka for his dedication to Kasugai Gardens and his service to cultural exchanges between Japan and Canada.

During a festival in Kasugai Oct. 20, the same Circle of Friendship statue was unveiled.

"It was very humbling to be a part of the Kasugai festival in Japan. My dad has been gone for 23 years now, but they treated the unveiling like his work had just taken place yesterday," Herb Tanaka said. 

"They claim that had it not been for him on this end it would be a very different story. They needed somebody that spoke Japanese on this side," Tanaka added.

Yukihisa Tanaka used to visit Kasugai Gardens everyday, and Herb says he likes to visit regularly because it reminds him of his dad.

"He would feed the fish and meet the people that came to visit. If anybody came from Japan he would run them all over town. Even now when I go in there it is like he's still there because that was his place." Tanaka said.