Nancy Kassebaum Baker, wife of U.S. Ambassador Howard Baker, thanked the Japanese people Wednesday for their support following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in the United States.
In a tree-planting ceremony in front of the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo, Baker said the tree is a "living symbol of our appreciation" for the Japanese people who supported Americans during a difficult time.
Baker said she was deeply moved by the many Japanese who placed flowers in front of the embassy and came by to offer their condolences and prayers right after the attacks.
A plaque in front of the tree reads: "This Japanese Maple Tree was planted on Sept. 11, 2002, by Ambassador Howard H. Baker Jr. to commemorate the sincere and spontaneous outpourings of sympathy at this site following the terrorist attacks in the United States on Sept. 11, 2001."
Nancy Kassebaum Baker planted the tree on behalf of her husband, who is currently in New York.
According to an embassy official, the ambassador chose a Japanese maple tree because it is known for its beauty as its leaves change color in the autumn.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuo Fukuda, Seiken Sugiura, senior vice foreign minister, and Vice Foreign Minister Yukio Takeuchi were among hundreds of people who attended the ceremony at 10 a.m.
A candlelight vigil was slated to be held in front of the embassy at 9:46 p.m.
Wednesday, coinciding with the exact time in the U.S. that the first hijacked jetliner was flown into the World Trade Center in New York a year ago.
