While the opening ceremony of the annual Cherry Blossom Festival was held in Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States, Japan’s donation of 250 cherry blossom trees to coincide with this year’s 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States was introduced.
Washington, the capital of the United States, is one of the country’s leading cherry blossom spots. Cherry blossoms donated by the mayor of Tokyo at the time were planted in 1912, and a cherry blossom festival is held every year to coincide with the blooming period.
During the opening ceremony held on the 21st, Diana Mayhew, president of the festival organizing group, gave a greeting and said, “The cherry blossoms donated from Japan are still blooming more than a century later, which is proof that the strong ties between the two countries are alive and well.”
Ambassador Shigeo Yamada announced that Japan is donating 250 cherry blossom trees to coincide with the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States this year, and said, “I hope that the newly planted cherry blossoms will also take root in American soil and bloom as a permanent symbol of the friendship between the people of the two countries.”
Also, at the opening ceremony, the ‘Onikenbai‘ dance, a folk performing arts tradition from Iwate Prefecture, was performed, and singer Ayaka Hirahara sang representative songs such as ‘Jupiter’ to liven up the atmosphere of the venue.
The cherry blossom festival runs until mid-April, and the National Park Service expects the cherry blossoms to be in full bloom between March 28 and April 1.
