Once inside the city of Belgrade, destroyed buildings by the NATO airstrikes in 1999 during the Kosovo War are unavoidable scenery. Mr. Aleksandar Djordjevic, who expressed his interest in joining the project, said “Until we actually experienced bombings, we thought bombings in Irak and atomic bombs were their problems, not ours. However, it’s different now. This is a problem to all of humanity and that was the reason why I wished to join and do the Kaki Tree Project here in this place, because it has a special meaning to us.” He even came to Japan moved by his passion to realize the project.
The tree planting ceremony was held at SKC Gallery. Children from the local elementary school, alma mater of Mr. Aleks, gathered bringing along their drawn pictures and pasted them on the wall of the gallery. On the wall facing front, the footage of the tree planting at Yanaka Community Center, Japan, was introduced on the projector. The ceremony was attended by the pupils from the elementary school, Minister of Culture of (then) the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, people from the Japanese Consulate and Mr. Aleks, Mr. Ebinuma and Minister of Culture gave speeches.
Then all the participants, together with children and Mr. Aleks, who held the potted tree, marched through the city to Tasmajdan Park, the tree planting site. At the site, a few children read some poems celebrating the coming of spring and the tree was planted. After the planting, there was a marionette performance, through which a message that asking the children to carefully nurture the tree was delivered.
