Japanese consul general finds cultural connection in Sioux Falls garden

Terrace Park attraction highlights ties between South Dakota and Japan during foreign trade visit

Alan Richard Dempster walks alongside Japan Consul General Masashi Mizobuchi during a tour of the Japanese Gardens at Terrace Park Tuesday. (Joe Sneve / The Dakota Scout)

A slice of Japan in the middle of Sioux Falls became the backdrop this week for an international visit to South Dakota.

Masashi Mizobuchi, consul general of Japan at the Japanese Consulate in Chicago, toured the Japanese Gardens at Terrace Park on the banks of Covell Lake during a half-hour walk with The Dakota Scout Tuesday, praising the city for investing in and maintaining a landmark he said reflects cultural bonds between South Dakota and Japan.

“For the city to have such a place, and to care for it for so long, shows a cultural connection between South Dakotans and Japan,” Mizobuchi told The Dakota Scout while pausing on a stone path within the expansive landscapes of the garden that features ponds, bridges and meticulously pruned trees.

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