WASHINGTON--One hundred years ago, when Tokyo sent 3,020 cherry trees to the United States as a token of friendship, the Japanese presenters could have never imagined the spectacle that would blossom forth.
WASHINGTON--One hundred years ago, when Tokyo sent 3,020 cherry trees to the United States as a token of friendship, the Japanese presenters could have never imagined the spectacle that would blossom forth.
Today, that gift still keeps on giving every spring, celebrated by the annual National Cherry Blossom Festival, which held its opening ceremony here on March 25.
About 6,000 people, four times the usual number, took part in the opening, marking 100 years since the trees arrived in Washington, and also remembering the one-year anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake.
Along with the cherry blossoms in full bloom, performances by Hideki Togi, a musician of gagaku classical music, and popular rhythm and blues singer Misia gave the event even more of a Japanese flavor.
At the intermission, Togi offered thanks for the support from the United States following last year's March 11 earthquake and tsunami.
Ichiro Fujisaki, Japan's ambassador to the United States, in his speech also thanked all Americans who assisted his country. He added that the Japanese are working hard and making progress toward recovery.
This year’s larger-than-usual festival will feature events until the end of April. The all-girl pop group AKB48, one of Japan's modern-day visions of beauty, is scheduled to stage a concert in Washington on March 27.