the washington post cherry blossom special section 2012

A natural fit The MLKMemorial takes its placeamid a fresh circle ofhistory and beauty. H6

After the disaster InTomioka, the trees willbloom this year. But noone is likely to see. H7

Burden of historyDecades after World WarII, a community struggleswith its mixed legacy. H6

Festival guide Theannual celebration isextended this year; checkout all of the events. H8

Eliza Scidmore, an adventurer and themother of the cherry blossoms, battledfor decades for the flora from afar — nowthey define Washington. H4

ABCDE

Cherry Blossoms

MARCOS CHIN FOR THE WASHINGTON POST

H

EZ EEwednesday, march 14, 2012

100 YEARS IN WASHINGTON

H2 EZ EE KLMNO WEDNESDAY, MARCH 14, 2012

CHERRY BLOSSOM FESTIVAL 2012

1885: Eliza Ruhamah Scidmore, returningto Washington from her first visit to Japan,approaches government officials topropose that Japanese cherry trees beplanted along the reclaimed PotomacRiver waterfront. She is ignored, butcontinues lobbying for 24 years.

1906:David Fairchild, plant explorer andU.S. Department of Agriculture official,imports 75 flowering cherry trees from theYokohama Nursery Co. in Japan. He plantsthem on his land in Chevy Chase to testtheir hardiness.

1907: Fairchild, pleased with his success,begins to promote Japanese cherry treesas the ideal thing to plant along avenuesin Washington.

1908: Fairchild adds his voice toScidmore’s, suggesting that the areaaround the Tidal Basin be transformedinto a “Field of Cherries.”

1909: Scidmore appeals to new first ladyHelen Taft for cherry trees. Taft seizes theidea and replies: “I have taken the matterup and am promised the trees.”

1909: Japanese chemist Jokichi Takamineand diplomat Kokichi Mizuno suggestTokyo donate the trees as a gesture offriendship between the U.S. and Japan.Helen Taft accepts the offer.

1910: On Jan. 6, 2,000 Japanese cherrytrees arrive in Washington, but have to bedestroyed because they are infested with

pests. (A mysterious, gnarled grove slightlyoff the tourist path today may contain adozen or so that were spared the flames.)

1912: Undaunted by the infected trees,diplomats arrange for a new donation, and3,020 healthy trees arrive in Washingtonon March 26.

1912: Scidmore, Taft, JapaneseAmbassador Sutemi Chinda and his wife,Iwa, plant the first two trees on March 27.

1913-1920: Workers continue plantingcherry trees around the Tidal Basin.

1916: Masayo Chinda, son of JapaneseAmbasador Sutemi Chinda and his wife,hangs himself in the Japanese Embassyon K Street. Friends blame the youngeconomist’s death on “strain induced byoverwork.”

1927: The original planting iscommemorated with a reenactment byWashington schoolchildren.

1934: The District of Columbiacommissioners sponsor a three-day cherryblossom celebration.

1935: The first “Cherry BlossomFestival” is jointly hosted bylocal civic groups.

1938: The Great CherryBlossom Uprising. Localcherry tree lovers“chain” themselves totrees that are beingremoved to prepare forthe Jefferson Memorial.A compromise is reachedwith a governmentpromise to plant moretrees.

1940: CherryBlossomPageant isintroduced

1948: Cherry Blossom princesses areselected from each state and federalterritory, and from the princesses, afestival queen is chosen.

1952: Japan requests U.S. help inrestoring Washington’s cherry tree parentsnear Tokyo, and the National Park Serviceships budwood from descendants back toJapan.

1954: Sadao Iguchi, the Japaneseambassador to the United States,presents a 300-year-old Japanese granitelantern to Washington to commemoratethe 1854 goodwill treaty between Japanand the United States.

1958: A Japanese stone pagoda isdedicated on the bank of the Tidal Basin,as a symbol of friendship from the mayorof Yokohama.

1965: The Japanese government donatesanother 3,800 cherry trees to Lady BirdJohnson, wife of President Lyndon B.Johnson. American-grown, many of thesetrees are planted around the WashingtonMonument.

1982: About 800 cuttings from Tidal Basincherry trees are gathered by Japanesehorticulturists to retain geneticcharacteristics.

1986 to 1988: A total of 676 new cherrytrees are planted with $101,000 in privatedonations to the National Park Service torestore the trees to their original number.

1994: The National Cherry BlossomFestival is expanded from one week to twoweeks.

1997: Cuttings are taken from thedocumented, surviving 1912 treeshipment, to ensure preservation of thetrees’ genetic lineage.

1999: A beaver family is relocated fromthe Tidal Basin after gnawing throughseveral cherry trees, alarming the humanpopulace.

1999: Fifty trees, propagated from a1,400-year-old cherry tree in Japan, areplanted in West Potomac Park. Theancient tree had been declared aJapanese national treasure in 1922.

2002-2006: Four-hundred trees,propagated from the surviving 1912 trees,are planted to ensure the genetic lineageof the originals.

2011: Approximately 120 propagates fromthe surviving 1912 trees around the TidalBasin are collected by the National ParkService and sent back to Japan to theJapan Cherry Blossom Association tosolidify the genetic lineage.

2012: Gala centennial of the first planting.The National Cherry Blossom Festival istemporarily expanded to five weeks. In thefootsteps of Helen Taft, first lady MichelleObama is the honorary chair.

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THE D.C. PUBLIC LIBRARY

BLOSSOM BACKER: Eliza RuhamahScidmore is credited with helpingbring the cherry trees to Washington.

1941: Dec. 11, four cherry treesare cut down in apparentretaliation for the Japaneseattack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.For the time being, the trees arereferred to as the “Oriental”

floweringcherrytrees.BUTTS

PORTRAITSTUDIO

MICHAEL WILLIAMSON/THE WASHINGTON POST

BOTHERSOME BEAVER: A beaverfamily caused damage to trees in 1999.

HARRIS & EWING

GOODWILL GIFT: Ambassador of Japan Sadao Iguchi, third from right, presentsa stone lantern to commemorate a goodwill treaty between the U.S. and Japan.

UNITED PRESS

BLOSSOM BEAUTIES: CherryBlossom Queen Jeannine Raymondwith Vice President Richard Nixon

on March 4, 1955. At left,Cherry Blossom PrincessRita Favre in 1950.

100 years of blossomsA cherry blossom timeline, according to the National Park Service and Washington Post research. Compiled by Michael E. Ruane.

Visit the award winning Sugarloaf MountainWinery in Dickerson. Take a driving tour alongthe Civil War Trails and the Montgomery CountyAgricultural Reserve. Or, take a short ride on theMetro Rail to our nation’s capital, the heart ofAmerican history.

VISITMONTGOMERY.COM877-789-6904240-777-2060

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 14, 2012 KLMNO EZ EE H3

JapanDestination

Discover the Wonder

Winter in Japan…leads to Spring in Japan… leads to

Summer in Japan…leads to Autumn in Japan. A circle of

scenic beauty and cultural quintessence. That is Japan,

a destination for travels of discovery any season of the

year. This winter, enjoy the healing pleasures of Unazuki

Hot Springs. Ski the beautiful fantasy world of the Snow

Monsters of Mt. Hakkoda. Explore the World Cultural

Heritage sites at Lake Biwa. And if you like, stay for the

spectacular cherry blossoms of Spring! Whichever season

you come, a beautiful land, invigorating fun and welcoming

people await. Japan. Endless discovery.

Find out more at www.japantravelinfo.com

Join us March 20-April 27

in Washington for the 100th Anniversary

of Japan’s gift of as many as 3,000

blossoming cherry trees to the United

States, a historic gesture of friendship

from the people of Japan to the people of

the United States.

We hope you will attend the

Japanese Tourism

Cherry Blossom

Symposium

Friday, March 23, 2012

The Washington Post Conference Center

Register at www.japantransport.com



A bold fruition

BY MICHAEL E. RUANE

She wore a gown of greenunder a black silk robe em-broidered with gold and sil-ver Japanese characters.And when the young womanwalked into the Dupont Cir-cle mansion that night, she

turned every head.It was the winter of 1894, and the

occasion was a fancy dress ball hosted bya senator’s daughter for the best ofWashington society. So many of thecapital’s elite were expected that theevent was covered by the press.

The center of attention was the boldguest who arrived in the garb of atraditional Japanese dancer: Eliza Ru-hamah Scidmore. She was 37, an author,journalist, traveler and collector of thelore and artifacts of far-off lands.

Celebrated for her adventures in Alas-ka and the Far East — daring for a singlewoman of her day — she would soongain renown in Washington for some-thing few people at the ball knew muchabout.

Scidmore (pronounced SID-more)would become in many ways the motherof the cherry blossoms.

She is the woman whose love of theirbeauty sparked the first lobbying cam-paign to plant Japanese cherry trees atthe Tidal Basin — and this month marksthe centennial of her efforts realized.

Enchanted by the culture of Japan, by1894 she had been pestering federalofficials for almost a decade to plantsome of the gorgeous trees she had seenin Tokyo around Washington’s re-claimed Potomac River mud flats, shewould say later.

It is “the most ideally, wonderfullybeautiful tree that nature has to show,”she wrote.

Princes and beggars were entranced.In Japan, people scrawled poems onpaper and hung them in the tree branch-es.

But in Washington, bureaucrats ofthree administrations had been un-moved by her pleas and photographs.

“It was as one crying in the wildernessthat I begged,” she wrote.

And the newspaper report of the ballthat evening on New Hampshire Avenuemade no mention of her crusade.

Today, it is the reason she is famous.In 1909, 15 years after the ball,

Scidmore’s “time-worn plea,” as she putit, reached the ear of the new first lady,Helen “Nellie” Taft, who was bent onbeautifying Washington.

“I have taken the matter up,” Taftreplied two days later, according toScidmore, “and am promised the trees.”

After some starts and stops, and thesupport and generosity of several Japa-nese and American officials, the treesarrived in late March 1912.

On March 27 — more than 25 yearsafter she said she had begun her quest in1885 — Scidmore attended the ceremo-nial first planting and etched her namein blossom history.

But a century of cherry tree hoopla,and the most common photo of Scid-more looking like a pleasant school-marm, have obscured details of a re-markable and somewhat mysterious life.

She never married, and despite dec-ades as a top-notch journalist, commen-tator and world traveler, she revealedalmost nothing about her personal lifein her writings. Always the narrator, shewas never the subject.

“There are many gaps in her life,” saidDiana Pabst Parsell, a Scidmore scholar,and “very little biographical informa-tion.

“She was a very, very private person,”added Parsell, of Falls Church. “In herbooks, for example, she never identifiespeople she’s traveling with. So you don’tget any insight into her personal life.”

Parsell said the accomplished Scid-more might have been treading cau-tiously amid strict Victorian conven-tions about women.

But “a woman of that era and that ageto have accomplished what she did hadto have been an exceptional person,” shesaid.

There are glimpses of Scidmore’spersonal life in her 1891 travel book,

“Jinrikisha Days in Japan” — scenes ofher transporting a camera and tripodaround the country, ascending stormyMount Fuji and learning the intricaciesof an ancient Japanese tea ceremony.

But they are fleeting.A reporter who covered the Dupont

Circle ball wrote a miniature portrait,saying Scidmore had a “superb phy-sique” and “blue-gray eyes . . . full ofvarying expression and humor.”

“She is a brilliant conversationalist,”the writer recounted, “with a keen,trenchant humor . . . and she is pos-sessed of an unexhaustible fund ofanecdote and reminiscence of interest-ing people.”

But little more seems available in the

public record.However, rarely seen photographs of

her are intriguing. In one, she is depict-ed with her mother, Eliza C. Scidmore.In another, she is shown with hermother and brother, George.

A third photo, which experts thinkwas taken in 1895, shows a woman in alow-cut white dress with billowing,elbow-length sleeves and a dreamy lookon her face.

The photo, among the SmithsonianInstitution’s Scidmore holdings, con-trasts other known portraits, in whichshe wears the buttoned-to-the-neckclothing of the late Victorians.

Parsell does not think the Smithso-nian photo, although it appears to be

among her belongings, shows Scidmore.But if it’s not her, who is it?Scidmore was reared in the District

during the Civil War in a boarding houserun by her mother, Parsell said. She wasa journalist by age 19, covering the 1876centennial celebration in Philadelphiafor a Washington newspaper.

She began her travels shortly thereaf-ter — first heading west, where she wasphotographed in the Dakota Territory bythe same man who had taken Gen.George Custer’s picture before the Battleof the Little Bighorn.

She moved on to the wilds of Alaska,where an island in Glacier Bay wasnamed for her and where she fell off ahorse and broke her collarbone.

She journeyed via steamer, train andrickshaw throughout the Far East,where she would study and chroniclethe people and cultures of Java, Indiaand China.

She prowled Asian cities and curioshops for clothing and artifacts shewould later loan to museums. She is saidto have found the lost throne of aChinese empress dowager, which yearslater was auctioned off to a wealthycollector.

Among other things, she covered thegreat 1896 tsunami in Japan for Nation-al Geographic. She also took scores ofphotographs of Japan for the magazine,some of which might have been the firstby a woman to appear in it.

The photos were black and white,hand-tinted in color, and depict tradi-tional Japanese life — women in kimo-nos having tea, students in a ruralclassroom, an exuberant girl playing athree-string banjo called a shamisen.(Many of those pictures are on view atthe National Geographic Society.)

She also wrote for the old CenturyMagazine and many other publications.Parsell found 300 articles she wrote fornewspapers such as The WashingtonPost, the New York Times and theChicago Tribune.

In addition, Scidmore wrote eightbooks, Parsell said, and by 1914 Mrs. Taftcalled her “the most notable foreignfigure in the Orient.”

While her writing is colorful, detailedand, at times, superb, Scidmore was anopinionated woman of her class andtimes.

She once referred to the “unlovely andunwashed peoples” of China, and to a

PHOTO BY ELIZA SCIDMORE COURTESY NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC

In the July 1914 issue of National Geographic, the magazine said this tree, in a public garden in the city of Kanazawa, “enjoys a reputation of being the most beautiful cherry tree in Japan.”

Eliza Scidmore is best known as the champion of the cherry blossom, the womanwho fought for years to bring the trees to the nation’s capital. But as a writer and

world traveler, she left her mark beyond the Tidal Basin.

WISCONSIN HISTORICAL SOCIETY

Eliza Scidmore was reared in the District during the Civil War. She was ajournalist by 19 and soon began her travels, to Alaska and on to Asia.



Japan that looked like a stage set, whose“houses seem toys, (and) their inhabit-ants dolls.”

But it was her love affair with Japan —“the fine flower of the Orient” — thatwould endear her to Washington andhelp plant on the shores of the PotomacRiver what would become a hallmark ofthe city and her most lasting legacy.

A city in transitionMarch 27, 1912, was a pleasant spring

Wednesday in Washington, with thetemperature reaching into the 60s.

On the Potomac, the four-mastedschooner Maria O. Teel was arrivingfrom Maine with the first cargo of ice forthe warm season.

Wildflowers were blooming in RockCreek Park, and the first lady wasconducting a small group of dignitaries,including the newly arrived Japaneseambassador and his wife, to the TidalBasin for a tree planting.

Washington in the spring of 1912 wasa city in transition.

Ships still tied up at the 10th and 11thStreet wharfs with cargoes of cordwood,coal and oysters, while steam tugshauled barges of bulk oil from Balti-more.

The streets still teemed with horse-drawn carriage, but there were alsoautomobiles — Packards, Hudsons andthe “self-starting” Lion 40.

Men wore derbies, women the latest“Gaby hat,” an elaborate headpiecenamed for the popular European enter-tainer Gaby Deslys.

It was a prosperous and peacefultime. Newspapers carried ads for theMarlborough-Blenheim Hotel in Atlan-tic City. The White Star Line boasted ofits elegant new steamship bound forNew York in three weeks — the Titanic.

The capital was trying to keep up. Asthe VIPs gathered for the planting, theywere hoping to beautify an empty spacethat had been created with mud dredgedfrom the river.

One of the few things in the area wasthe so-called Speedway, an almost de-cade-old road built for fast horse car-riages.

There was talk of erecting a grandmemorial to Abraham Lincoln nearby,but that was a few years away. Amonument to Thomas Jefferson wasdecades off.

So Taft jumped at the idea to decorate

the area with flowering Japanese cherrytrees.

Others, such as David G. Fairchild, afederal agriculture official, and his wife,Marian, who raised cherry trees at theirMaryland home, were also lobbying theWhite House to plant them at the TidalBasin and elsewhere in Washington.

Scidmore recounted that the day aftershe received Taft’s response in 1909, shetold two Japanese acquaintances whowere in Washington on business: JokichiTakamine, the New York chemist, andKokichi Mizuno, Japan’s consul generalin New York.

The two men immediately suggesteda donation of 2,000 trees from Japan,specifically from its capital, Tokyo, as a

gesture of friendship.They asked Scidmore to find out

whether that would be acceptable to thefirst lady.

“Very naturally,” Scidmore wrote,“Mrs. Taft did accept.”

The first 2,000 trees arrived in Janu-ary 1910 but had to be burned becausethey were infested with pests. A second,healthy shipment arrived March 26,1912.

Scidmore, then 55, was the onlyprivate citizen recorded among those atthe planting ceremony the next day.

The delegation was headed by thefirst lady, who was not fully recoveredfrom a stroke she had suffered in 1909.

Japan was represented by its ambas-

sador, Sutemi Chinda, and his wife, Iwa.An accomplished and tragic couple,

they had lost one son to an accidentalexplosion on a Japanese warship andwould lose another to suicide at theembassy on K Street four years later.

Also present was U.S. Army Col.Spencer Cosby, the polished presidentialaide who was in charge of publicbuildings and grounds in the District.

After the planting, the first lady gavethe ambassador’s wife a bouquet ofroses.

There was scant publicity — twoparagraphs in one city newspaper, fivein another.

But Cosby saw the future.“In a few years,” he wrote Tokyo

Mayor Yukio Ozaki, “this will undoubt-edly be one of the famous sights ofWashington, and a constant reminder toour citizens of the kindly feeling of yourcity and country.”

The Japan she lovedIt was a gloomy, rainy day, with ravens

cawing in the dripping pine trees, whenScidmore first saw Tokyo’s ancient mo-nastic grounds and tombs at Shiba.

“Led by a lean, one-toothed priest,you follow, stocking footed . . . to beholdgold and bronze, lacquer and inlaying,carving and color, golden images sittingin golden shadows, enshrined amonggolden lotus flowers,” she wrote in“Jinrikisha Days in Japan.”

This was the Japan she loved — themythical, fairy-tale land that was only afew decades removed from its “opening”to the West. She found families living inthatched-roof houses, horses wearingshoes of straw and people dining onchrysanthemum petal salad and cherryblossom tea.

She also found, and lamented, a Japanthat was modernizing rapidly.

Years before her first visit, formerpresident Ulysses S. Grant and his wife,Julia, had toured Nagasaki, planted twotrees and left an inscription praying forprosperity and a long life for the coun-try.

Scidmore had a link to the country viaher brother, who was a longtime lawyerand diplomat there. Their mother livedthe last years of her life with her son inJapan.

And although Scidmore fretted aboutthe influence on Japan of tennis, bil-liards and cards; clothing from Paris;“hideous” carpet from Brussels; and“punctilious” etiquette from Berlin, shewas cheered by traditions that lived on.

Among them was the annual springhomage to the cherry blossoms.

“The Japanese have given us theirfavorite,” she wrote after the gift ofWashington’s trees was finalized. “Theirown mountain flower, the soul of Japan,the symbol of all they adore and aspireto.” She did not say how she felt abouther role in arranging that gift.

But when she died of heart failure at72 in Switzerland in 1928, historians say,the Japanese government requested herashes. They were interred in Yokohama,where they remain today.

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HARRY GOODWIN/THE WASHINGTON POST

The combination of stunning cherry trees and perfect weather brought out thousands of sightseers in their Easterfinery in April 1947. Folks strolled beneath canopies along the Tidal Basin.

PHOTOS BY ELIZA SCIDMORE / NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC

Young woman sings and plays a stringed instrument. The photo appeared in the April 1912 edition of National Geographic.

TOP: Eliza Scidmore,who loved Japan, tookscores of photos of thecountry for NationalGeographic magazine,including this image ofwomen performing atea ceremony.

ABOVE: Scidmorecaptured this image ofJapanese boys taking atraining class onpattern- and box-cutting.

LEFT: Young girl withhands over mouth.


MLK Memorial fits inwith its surroundings

BY MICHAEL E. RUANE

Years ago, when chief landscape archi-tect Sheila A. Brady went to scout the siteof the future Martin Luther King Jr.Memorial, the location told her immedi-ately what to plant: Yoshino Japanesecherry trees.

The four-acre, landscaped memorialwas to be set in the most historic belt ofYoshino flowering cherry trees in thenation, and Brady could see that thememorial would become a big part of thecherry blossoms. The message was clear.

This month, as Washington celebratesthe centennial of the first cherry treeplanting on the Tidal Basin, the Kingmemorial has been integrated physicallyand emotionally into a fresh circle ofhistory and beauty, its creators said.

And the pristine, 30-foot-tall granitestatue of King on the northwest shore ofthe basin — appearing officially for itsfirst National Cherry Blossom Festival —creates a striking new landscape, theNational Park Service said.

It is the first such site amid the TidalBasin’s cherry blossoms since the Frank-lin D. Roosevelt Memorial was dedicated15 years ago and the first to tower overthe basin since the Jefferson Memorialwas dedicated in 1943.

The King Memorial opened last sum-mer and was dedicated last fall. The ParkService predicted this week that the treesshould start to bloom around March 20,and peak between March 24 and 28.

The expanded festival runs from

March 20 to April 27 and this year honorsthe 100th anniversary of the first plant-ing on March 27, 1912. The original treeswere a gift to Washington from Tokyo.

“The juxtapositions of the cherry trees. . . to the King Memorial was not ahappenstance,” the memorial’s executivearchitect, Ed Jackson Jr., said in a state-ment.

“The significance of the floral bouquetof cherry blossoms in the early spring isone of rebirth, of recommitment to theideas and ideals of Dr. King’s vision ofAmerica and the American Dream,” hesaid.

In addition, April 4, the date of King’sassassination in 1968, is the average dateof the blossoms’ peak blooms.

The memorial had to remove a handfulof cherry trees in the construction proc-ess, said Brady, the landscape architect ofrecord, who works for the Washingtonfirm Oehme, van Sweden and Associates.

But the project added 182 new Yoshi-nos and adjusted the walkway from thebasin to the memorial to avoid harmingseveral gnarled old cherry trees nearby,Brady said.

As a result, the crescent-shaped me-morial is “in congress with all of thecherries,” she said last week. “It just feelslike it belongs. It’s very fitted to itscontext, to its historic context.”

“My thinking here was that the cher-ries were the right material,” she said. “Itjust seemed to be the right thing to do.You can imagine . . . what if this were allhollies in here? . . . You would have a very

different sensation.”Brady pointed out that the memorial is

“primarily a landscaped memorial, ver-sus an architectural memorial. . . . You’resurrounded in four acres of gardens.”

Planted there, along with the cherrytrees, are winter jasmine, dwarf sweet-spire and Siberian iris, as well as crapemyrtles, daylilies and Princeton elms.

The scene “presents a whole newvista,” said Robert DeFeo, the NationalPark Service horticulturist and Washing-ton’s reigning government cherry blos-som expert.

The new cherry trees are slightly olderthan the average newly planted cherrytree, DeFeo said, because officials did notwant the site to look “just planted.”

“They want the memorial to have alittle bit of a mature appearance and alittle larger tree,” he said in an interviewthere last week.

He said they new trees — which areAmerican-grown — will blossom three orfour days behind the older trees because

of the stress of being transplanted. Butthe difference won’t be that notable.

The Tidal Basin cherry trees are nowjoined by national icons on four sides —the King Memorial, the Jefferson Memo-rial, the Washington Monument and theRoosevelt Memorial.

But the dialog, moderated by the el-egant white blossoms, between King,who stands with folded arms, and Thom-as Jefferson, who was a slaveholder, isstriking, Brady said. “Why is [King]looking over like that?” she said. “Andwhy is his stance like that? . . . Whenchildren look up and say, ‘Who is he? Andwho is he looking at over there?’ Thoseare wonderful questions. And our historyhas a lot to do with that back and forth.”

And the presence of the King Memori-al now in the “sacred ground” of Wash-ington’s monumental core “is what’smost compelling to me,” she said.

“It says a lot to our country [about] theimportance of having Dr. King here.”

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For Japanese Americans,WWII leaves a mixed legacy

BY PAMELA CONSTABLE

For a long, quiet moment, a white-haired gentleman stood and gazed at thewords engraved in a low granite wall. Fewpassersby noticed the memorial, tuckedon a tiny patch of federal parkland nearUnion Station. But every time GrantIchikawa returns to the spot and standsbefore the statue of two majestic birdscaught in barbed wire, a half-century ofmemories floods back.

“This is a holy place for me. My wholelife is here,” Ichikawa, 93, a JapaneseAmerican veteran of World War II andresident of Vienna, said on a chilly after-noon in February. First, he pointed to arow of stone panels listing obscure townsacross the west and south.

“Gila River — that’s the camp where myfamily was interned,” he said.

Then he turned to another panel hon-oring about 20,000 Japanese Americanswho served in the war, including morethan 800 who died. “You fought not onlythe enemy,” he recited from one tribute,carved in the granite. “You fought preju-dice, and you won.”

It took 47 years for the U.S. governmentto apologize, in 1988, for the wartimeexecutive order that swept more than120,000 Japanese Americans into remoteprison camps after the attack on PearlHarbor. Still later, in 2000, the modestmemorial was built, in part to honorJapanese Americans who served in U.S.Army combat and intelligence units andin part to commemorate the ordeal offamilies that were interned.

In a gesture to Japanese cultural roots,the monument is surrounded by a semi-circle of flowering cherry trees. These arethe same delicate trees that line the TidalBasin—agift fromJapanwhosecentenni-al is being celebrated this spring, and onethat has survived some of the worst yearsof the relationship between the two na-tions. Inaddition, thetwostrugglingbirdsin the memorial are Japanese cranes.

“We are Americans, but we are veryproud of our Japanese cultural heritage.Both the cherry trees and the cranes signi-fy our ties to the old country,” said GeraldYamada, 67, a retired U.S. governmentlawyerwhoplayedakeyrole inpromoting

and developing the memorial project.Today, the estimated 800,000 Japanese

Americans — some of whose forebearsimmigrated more than a century ago —have achieved extraordinary economicsuccess and have worked exceptionallyhard to integrate fully into U.S. society.Many lost thriving produce farms andother businesses during the war, thenredoubled their efforts after it ended.Some joined the federal government orbuilt political careers, notably Sen. DanielInouye (D-Hawaii) and Norman Y. Mine-ta, transportation secretary under Presi-dent George W. Bush.

Yet the complicated legacy of their spe-cial past continues to privately haunt thepostwar Japanese American community.Oncecaughtbetweentwowarringpowersand viewed with suspicion by their ances-tral homeland and their adopted country,many have wrestled ever since with alegacy of wounded dignity, conflictedidentity and vertiginous twists of fate.

With a single act — the attack on PearlHarbor on Dec. 7, 1941 — a proud andaccomplished immigrant group became apariah population, ridiculed and feared.Only after decades of effort to out-per-form and assimilate — decades also ofembarrassed silence about the past —have many Japanese Americans begun topublicly discuss their wrenching wartimeexperiences.

“We were always told to be as Americanas possible,” said Floyd Mori, 73, a lifelongactivist from California and Utah whoheads the District-based Japanese Ameri-can Citizens League. He recalled beingexcluded as a boy from schoolmates’birthday parties. Even his original name,Shiro, was changed to Floyd so he wouldfit in better.

“We were seen as the enemy, and wewere ashamed of being Japanese,” he said.“I put my heritage aside, and it took meyears before I began to understand andappreciate those values.”

Despite their drive to assimilate, schol-ars say many Japanese Americans haveclung fiercely to core Japanese traditionsand values, from rice-pounding holidayrituals and ikebana flower-arrangingclasses to absolute insistence on payingthe entire restaurant bill.

Yet they rarely put these roots on publicdisplay. While other, newer Asian Ameri-cans tend to cluster in urban enclaveswith ethnic eateries, Japanese Americansare more secluded and scattered throughaffluent communities. Most live on theWest Coast or in Hawaii, and only a hand-ful make their home in the Washingtonarea, census data show, mostly because ofgovernment-related jobs.

Larry Shinagawa, 46, a professor ofAsian American studies at the Universityof Maryland, said many Japanese Ameri-cans have adhered strongly to the ancientsamurai values of endurance, reserve, am-bition,dutyandavoidingembarrassment.These values helped them survive the war,then put it behind them and rebuild theirlives, even while the wounds were fresh.

“We are the most mainstream Ameri-can of all Asians, yet we are more tradi-tional than the Japanese in Japan,” saidShinagawa, a California native. He de-scribedhowhis familywas forced toaban-don its home in 1941, carrying heirloomkimonos and swords to a guarded horsestable, where they were housed for weeks.“We are frozen in time. We are caughtbetween two cultures, and we have mixedfeelings about everything.”

Another legacy of the war was thatJapanese Americans remained estrangedfor decades from the country and govern-ment of Japan. Little fresh immigrationand few visitor exchanges took place untilthe past 20 years.

In the 1970s, a wave of Japanese invest-ment brought a new form of rivalry, alongwith thousands of businessmen from To-kyo, to the West Coast. Today, there arewell more than 100,000 Japanese nation-

als living and working temporarily in theUnited States, yet for the most part, theydo not mingle socially with JapaneseAmericans.

Now that longtime chill is beginning tothaw, in part because of aggressive diplo-matic outreach by Japan and in part be-causeanewgenerationofJapaneseAmer-ican students and young professionals,including fourth-andfifth-generation im-migrants, have begun to visit Japan andtake jobs there. Yet some visitors reportbeing viewed as objects of confusion andcuriosity in their ancestral homeland.

“I have been to Japan five times now,and I found people were fascinated tomeet a Japanese American. They didn’teven know we exist,” said Hillary Nakano,23, a Californian who is living in Washing-ton as a fellow with Mori’s nonprofitgroup. She said that when she tried toexplain about the wartime internmentcamps, her peers in Japan had no ideawhat she was talking about.

Kaitlin Inamasu, 19, a student atGeorge Washington University from Ha-waii, said she has never been to Japan andspeaks English, Spanish and Hawaiian.But she said that coming to Washington,wherepeopleconstantlyaskheraboutherbackground, made her suddenly awareand proud of her Japanese roots. Now,when she goes home on vacation, she hasstarted asking her grandparents abouttheir internment. “I had never asked be-fore, and they had never talked about it,”she said.

Since the 1988 apology by PresidentRonald Reagan, and the accompanyinglegislation that provided financial redressfor camp survivors, a burst of pride, cre-

ativity and discussion among JapaneseAmericans has gradually replaced theyears of silent shame over the war. Somecreative projects even raise the still-sensi-tive issue of disputes within internmentcamps between young men who volun-teered for the U.S. war effort and otherswho were too embittered to join up.

“The apology told people it wasn’t theirfault. It lifted the feelings of guilt, so nowthe stories can be told,” said Yamada, 67,during a recent visit to the memorial, atLouisiana Avenue and D Street NW.

Yamada, who served in the Army dur-ing the Vietnam War, also heads the Japa-nese-American Veterans Association. Butit is Ichikawa and another local WorldWar II veteran, Terry Shima, who worktirelessly toraisepublicawarenessof theirhistory. Shima, 88, loves visiting schoolsto recount the heroic exploits of his com-patriots who fought the Germans in Eu-rope and worked as intelligence gatherersin the Pacific. The American students, hesaid, are always amazed.

“In World War II we were treated asnon-persons. Now, in 70 years, there hasbeen a huge transformation,” said Shima,a resident of Gaithersburg who alwayswears his veterans’ cap. “We proved ourloyalty and leveled the playing field forfuture generations to compete and suc-ceed in America.”

Like Ichikawa, he said he reveres thememorial, but for a different reason. “Tome, it represents the greatness of Ameri-ca,” Shima said. “The government recog-nized it had made a huge mistake andapologized for it. No other nation wouldhave done that.”

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BILL O'LEARY/THE WASHINGTON POST

Sheila A. Brady, chief landscape architect for the MLK Memorial, walks among the older cherry trees along the Tidal Basin.Her design not only integrates the memorial’s grounds into the existing ring of trees; it adds 182 new Yoshinos to the grove.

LINDA DAVIDSON/THE WASHINGTON POST

Hillary Nakano, left, with Kaitlin Inamasu, is a fellow in the Washington office of the Japanese American Citizens League.Nakano, 23, said she told peers in Japan of the wartime internment of Japanese Americans, a situation they were unaware of.

Sunday in KidsPostA special section celebrates the cherry treeanniversary with art created by Washingtonarea kids on the meaning of the blossoms.Plus books, activities and games related tothe festival.

BY MADI FLINN, 10, BURKE


A Japanese townknown for bloomsnow sits forsaken

BY CHICO HARLAN

tokyo — Tomioka, just milesfrom the Fukushima Daiichi nu-clear power plant, was once atown famous for its cherry blos-som trees.

They were a pink glitter spreadacross the grid of streets, formingclusters near schoolyards andparks, dotting the boundary of agolf course, lining main roads. Afew even popped up near thenorthern edge of town, along thecoastal road that workers tookwhen driving to begin their shiftsat the nuclear plant.

Japanese call their belovedcherry tree the “sakura,” and in itsyearly cycle they see a poignantsign of beauty’s impermanence.

The sakura blooms in earlyspring, starting in the southernparts of the country, and as weeksgo by, a wand of pink movesnorthward, takingwith it millionsof people who want to eat, drinkand picnic under the shade. Aweek or two after the flowersbloom, they fall away. The out-door celebrations end, and Japa-nese talk about the fleeting natureof their national icon.

But this year, in a country oneyear removed from twinned natu-ral disasters and a resulting nu-clear crisis, the sakura celebrationcarries a more sorrowful senti-ment. In now-vacant towns suchas Tomioka, the cherry blossomswill still bloom. Nobody is likely tosee them.

In the wake of the triple melt-down at the Fukushima plant,radioactive isotopes spreadacross the region, prompting thegovernment to declare a 12-milecircle around the facility off limitsto residents. Tomioka fell wellwithin that circle, and these days,its main streets are windblownand abandoned, with windowsbroken, front doors unhinged, an-imals roaming loose. Some build-ings were toppled by the 9.0-mag-nitude earthquake and were nev-er repaired. It will take at least fiveyears, the government says, untilpeople have a chance to return.

For many former Tomioka resi-dents, cherry blossom season,once their favoritepartof theyear,is now the toughest. The town of16,000 formed its identity aroundthe trees. Municipal workers hadpictures of them on their businesscards. The town would draw morethan 100,000 visitors for its an-nual festival, with musical per-

formers and food vendors liningthe street. About 10 years ago, thetown put together a book withmore than 300 personal essaysabout individuals’ memories ofthe cherry blossoms.

“The town itself was really justall sakura,” said Minako Ooshima.Before the March 11 earthquakeand tsunami, Ooshima hadworked at Tomioka’s tourismagency. The job worked perfectlyfor her, because it just so hap-pened that her town’s top sellingpoint (sakura) was also her pri-mary passion. Sometimes, sheeven wore scarves made from dyeof the sakura tree.

She also knew the town’s his-tory. Around 1900, a major land-owner, Seiju Hangai, had plantedseveral hundred cherry treesaround town. A son later planteda thousand more, and on onestretch of road, he created a “tun-nel” of trees, with rows on both

sides. Their branches arched overthe road, as if trying to holdhands. This tunnel became Tomi-oka’s most famous road — theSakura dori, as residents called it— and the town later redirectedhighway traffic so big truckswouldn’t belch fumes at the trees.

During Tomioka’s sakura festi-val weeks, Ooshima would workuntil 5:30. But she’d return to herhouse, make dinner for her kidsand husband, and then they’d goon a walk through the tunnel.Lights positioned under the treesgave the scene an unforgettablepink glow. When the lights wereturned off at 9 p.m., the Ooshimafamily went home.

“The blossoms at night are verybeautiful and elegant,” one of

Ooshima’s daughters wrote in heressay, published in the town’sbook.

Return to Tomioka?Ooshima has no idea whether

she or her family will be able to, orhave reason to, return to Tomioka.She lives now in a small second-floor apartment in Ibaraki prefec-ture, about a one-hour train rideoutside Tokyo. In Christmas cardsshe sent last December to friends,she mentioned her “dream” —that one day her children couldreturn to their home town and seethe cherry trees.

But she also thinks about thereturn in more pragmatic terms.She is 50 years old. So is herhusband, an architect who hasalready found work in Tokyo. Fiveyears from now — if the town hasmanaged to be decontaminated —would it really make sense touproot the family once more?Could her husband run a sustain-able business?

“I think it’s hard to make anyguess,” she said. “And also, how doyou restore infrastructure? Wa-terlines? Electricity? There are nosupermarkets in town, no hospi-tals, no convenience stores. It willtake years to even restore theminimum lifelines.”

During a recent afternoon ather new apartment in Ibaraki,Ooshima pulled out a map, creat-ed by Tomioka in 2008 to high-light viewing spots for the cherrytrees. But this time, she talkedabout radiation levels. Japan’sgovernment recommended evac-uation for any area — even thosebeyond the 12-mile no-go zone —that would receive more than 20microsieverts a year. In Tomioka,several areas have received fouror five times that much. Manyareas are right around the 20microsievert level. A few are wellbelow.

“The town is basically dividedinto three parts,” Ooshima said,noting the way the radiation lev-

els change. Her home, she said, isin the area with the highest levels.

‘Don’t forget’After evacuating, several thou-

sand Tomioka residents ended upat an arena-like convention hall inKoriyama, a city in Fukushimafarther from the nuclear plant.City workers set up temporaryoffices in the lower levels, andfamilies created little privatespaces, separated by cardboard,on the upper levels. Evacueeswere awakened in the morning bypublic address announcementsand given food boxes at fixedhours.

Then, one day last April, themunicipal workers received apackage. It was filled with T-shirts, 50 of them, and each onehad a pink logo across the chest: acherry blossom. The messageacross the flower read, “Don’t For-

get. Return to Tomioka.” Theworkers loved them and passedthem around.

They had been shipped thereby a graphic designer from Tokyowho grew up in Tomioka. ShigekiSekine created the logo himselfand paid for the screen printing;he didn’t have enough money tocreate another batch, as the cityrequested. But he did haveenough money to print somestickers. In fact, he printed thou-sands of them, and he created aWeb site to go with them. Thestickers were plastered on thewalls of cafes and music venues. Afew ended up in London and NewYork and Taiwan.

As the months went by, Sekineworried that it might not be real-istic to return soon to Tomioka.On some stickers, he actuallychanged the message. “We willsupport Tomioka,” the new one

read.But he didn’t totally abandon

the first message: Even if return-ing to Tomioka is impossible, resi-dents should at least use that astheir mind-set. At minimum, theyshould strive to return to thenormalcy they felt in Tomioka.

That means having conversa-tions about kids and exam scoresand boyfriends, not dosimetersand compensation payments.

A year later, has that normalcyhappened?

“Far from it,” Sekine said. “Oneway to look at normalcy: I hope aday will come when people canlook at cherry blossoms and notfeel sad about it. Appreciatingcherry blossoms is a sign of nor-malcy.”

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Special correspondent Ayako Miecontributed to this report.

NORIKO HAYASHI FOR THE WASHINGTON POST

A bus abandoned a year ago in Japan’s earthquake, tsunami and subsequent nuclear crisis decays beside a persimmon tree in Tomioka, nowcontaminated by radiation. The town, famed for its cherry blossom trees, once drew more than 100,000 visitors with its annual festival.


Cultural treasures to grace celebrationBY IAN SHAPIRA

Ichiro Fujisaki, Japan’s ambas-sador to the United States, eager-ly awaits the start of the NationalCherry Blossom Festival thismonth in what is the centennialof the planting of Washington’scherry trees, a gift from the city ofTokyo in 1912.

But beyond the cherry blos-soms — expected to reach peakbloom earlier than usual this year— Fujisaki is fixated on anothersource of emblematic beauty, onethat will be on display fromMarch 30 to April 29 at the Na-tional Gallery of Art: a set of 30scrolls of 18th-century Japanesebird-and-flower paintings.

The entire set has never leftJapan. But in honor of the cherrytrees’ 100th anniversary on theTidal Basin, the Japanese govern-ment is lending the National Gal-lery the silk paintings for fourweeks. After that, they return tothe Imperial Household.

“I have read so many booksabout these paintings and haveseen so many pictures, and agreat film, so I am excited to seethe real ones,” Fujisaki said in aninterview. “They are detailed andbeautifully done and a favorite ofa past emperor.”

The 100th anniversary of thecherry trees is almost as notablefor all the ceremonies, presenta-

tions and events taking placebeyond the Tidal Basin as for theblossoms.

The opening ceremony, onMarch 25 at the Washington Con-vention Center, will feature thetraditional and surreal. The Chil-dren’s Chorus of Washington willsing the Japanese national an-them. (Coincidentally, the chorusrecently welcomed a new execu-tive director, Nao Tsurumaki,who is Japanese.) A group calledSamurai Sword Soul will show-case — what else? — samuraisword fighting choreographed torock music.

Joan Gregoryk, founder andartistic director of the children’schorus, said the group’s members— students from 12 to 18 years old— have had no trouble memoriz-ing the Japanese national an-them.

“To tell you the truth, we’vebeen singing a lot of international

songs this year, since our theme isScandinavian,” she said. “Com-pared to Finnish and Danish,singing the Japanese national an-them has been quite simple.”

For Fujisaki, the entire festivalreflects the great degree of trustbehind the Japanese-U.S. rela-tionship. “We are grateful to whatAmericans have done after 3/11,”he said, noting the date of lastMarch’s earthquake in Japan. “Alot of Americans have gone out oftheir way — U.S. forces, U.S.schools and children.”

Recently, Fujisaki wrote aWashington Post article about thehistory of the National CherryBlossom Festival and told how, in1912, first lady Helen Taft and theJapanese ambassador’s wife Vis-countess Iwa Chinda planted thefirst saplings. In his research,Fujisaki said he was most struckby the generous reception givenTokyo’s mayor in 1950, just fiveyears after World War II.

“Even during World War II,only a few trees were cut down,and almost all were left intact.Some people in the U.S. werereally angry at Japan that allthese trees were kept,” Fujisakisaid. “But when the Tokyo mayorwas invited to Congress, he washonored for his country’s gift ofthe trees in 1912. He even read aJapanese poem.”

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Japan is lending theNational Gallery of Art

a 30-scroll set of18th-century bird-and-

flower paintingsfor four weeks.

March 7 – September 3 | NGmuseum.orgFarragut North or West to 17th & M Streets NW



MARCH 17CORCORAN GALLERY OF ART KITE-MAKINGWORKSHOP From 10 to noon. A kite-building expertwill help you craft a kite for the kite festival. Materialsprovided. Registration required. Corcoran Gallery ofArt, 500 17th St. NW. 202-639-1700.www.corcoran.org. $20.“THE TSUNAMI AND THE CHERRY BLOSSOM” At7:45. A screening of the Oscar-nominated film thatlinks the disaster with the power of Japan’s mostbeloved flower. AFI Silver Theatre, 8633 Colesville Rd.,Silver Spring. 301-495-6720. www.afi.com/silver.$11.50, seniors, students and military $9, age 12 andyounger $7.

MARCH 18JAPANESE TEA PARTY From 2 to 4. For ages 5 to 10.Children receive a guided tour of the orchid exhibitand then learn more about Japanese gardens and teahouses as they sip tea. Children must beaccompanied by an adult. Registration required. U.S.Botanic Garden, 100 Maryland Ave. SW.202-225-8333. www.usbg.gov. Free.

MARCH 20PINK TIE PARTY From 7 to 11. The annual fundraiser,hosted by chefs Jose Andres and Roy Yamaguchi,features spring-, cherry- and blossom-inspired cuisineand cocktails. Renaissance Mayflower Hotel, 1127Connecticut Ave. NW. 202-347-3000.www.nationalcherryblossomfestival.org. $200.

MARCH 21HAIKU MEDITATION THERAPY FOR STRESSREDUCTION LECTURE From 1 to 3. Sirkku M. Skydiscusses this method that has been inspired by theancient Japanese poetry, focusing on actionmeditation. Reservations required. Art and DramaTherapy Institute, Walter Prichard Theater, 327 S St.SE. 202-635-1576. www.adtinet.com. Free.

MARCH 22HANAMI, THE ART OF THE CHERRY BLOSSOM From6 to 8. See the mansion’s cherry blossoms in fullbloom, sip hanami rum fizz, taste an Asian-themedmenu of savories and cherry treats and view a 19th-century hanami-themed vase from Japan. Tudor Place,1644 31st St. NW. 202-965-0400. www.tudorplace.org.$15.

MARCH 24KITES OF ASIA From 10 to 3. Experience the beautyand artistry of kites from across Asia. National Air andSpace Museum, Sixth Street and IndependenceAvenue SW. 202-633-1000. www.nasm.si.edu. Free.CHERRY BLOSSOM FESTIVAL FAMILY DAYS From 10to 4:30. Also on March 25 from 11 to 3:30. Hands-onactivities, interactive art demonstrations andperformances that celebrate spring and exploreJapanese arts and design. National Building Museum,401 F St. NW. 877-442-5666. 202-272-2448.www.nationalcherryblossomfestival.org. Free.“JAPANESE INFLUENCE ON AMERICAN CRAFT”From 10:30 to noon. James Renwick Alliancesymposium. Moderator Halsey North with panelistsJack Lenor Larsen, Donald Friedlich, WendyMaruyama and Judith S. Schwartz. SmithsonianAmerican Art Museum, Eighth and F streets NW.202-633-1000. www.americanart.si.edu. Free.CHERRY BLOSSOM CENTENNIAL STAMPDEDICATION CEREMONY At 10:30. The public isinvited to the unveiling of the first-class forever stamp.National Building Museum, 401 F St. NW.202-272-2448. www.nbm.org. Free.JAPAN SPRING OPENING DAY CELEBRATION From11 to 5. Celebrate the arrival of Japan Spring on theNational Mall with bento boxes and tea available forpurchase in the Sackler Pavilion from 11 to 2. AHokusai-inspired family activity and a demonstrationof the dramatic art of kabuki begins at 2. Arthur M.Sackler Gallery, 1050 Independence Ave. SW.202-633-1000. asia.si.edu. Free.THE ART OF KABUKI At 2. Traditional dance masterBando Kotoji demonstrates scenes from famouskabuki plays, offering special onstage instruction forsome audience members. Freer Gallery of Art, MeyerAuditorium, Jefferson Drive and 12th Street SW.202-633-1000. asia.si.edu. Free.

MARCH 25CHERRY BLOSSOM BIKE RIDE AND CYCLE EXPOFrom 10 to 2. Four 10-mile guided rides along theCapital Crescent Trail. Must preregister for ride. Ridesare limited to 100 people per group. Sponsored by theAmerican Diabetes Association. GeorgetownWaterfront Park, Water Street from 31st Street to KeyBridge. 202-331-8303.www.diabetes.org/cherryblossom. Free.CHERRY BLOSSOM FESTIVAL FAMILY DAYS SeeMarch 24.NATIONAL CHERRY BLOSSOM FESTIVAL OPENINGCEREMONY From 5 to 6:30. Traditional andcontemporary performances highlight the gift of thetrees. Walter E. Washington Convention Center, 801Mount Vernon Pl. NW. 877-442-5666. 202-249-3400.www.nationalcherryblossomfestival.org. Free.CLASSICAL SOPRANO AND PIANO RECITAL At 6:30.Meri Siirala and Danielle Hahn perform works by AlmaMaher, Kaija Saariaho and other female composers.National Gallery of Art, West Building Garden Court,600 Constitution Ave. NW. 202-842-6941.202-737-4215. www.nga.gov. Free.

MARCH 29LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CHERRY BLOSSOMLECTURE At noon. Ambassador John Malott, thepresident of Japan-America Society, discusses the1912 gift of the cherry trees. Library of Congress,Jefferson Building, 10 First St. SE. 202-707-4604.www.loc.gov. Free.KYOGEN AND DAIDENGAKU At 6. The performancefeatures Kyogen, a form of traditional Japanese comictheater, and Daidengaku, a form of traditionalJapanese dance. Kennedy Center, Millennium Stage,2700 F St. NW. 202-467-4600. 800-444-1324.www.kennedy-center.org. Free.PHOTOGRAPHING JAPANESE GARDENS LECTUREFrom 6:30 to 8. Photographer David Cobb discussesthe elements of style and the finer points ofphotographing Japanese gardens. Reservationsrequired. U.S. Botanic Garden, 100 Maryland Ave. SW.202-225-8333. www.usbg.gov. Free.

MARCH 30THE ART OF ITO JAKUCHU At 10. Japanese andAmerican scholars present new research on thepaintings of the Japanese artist and hiscontemporaries. National Gallery of Art, East Building,Fourth Street and Constitution Avenue NW.202-737-4215. www.nga.gov. Free.CHERRY BLOSSOM 10-MILE RUN HEALTH ANDFITNESS EXPO From noon to 7. Also on March 31 from9 to 5. Free clinics and a variety of speakers as well amerchandise store. National Building Museum, 401 FSt. NW. 301-320-3350. www.cherryblossom.org. Free.SOUTHWEST CHAMBER PLAYERS CONCERT At7:30. The world premiere of a piece commissioned forthe 100th anniversary of the gift of the cherry blossomtrees. St. Augustine’s Episcopal Church, Sixth Streetand Maine Avenue SW. 877-442-5666.www.southwestchamberplayers.org. Free.

MARCH 31CHERRY BLOSSOM SOCCER TOURNAMENT From 8to 6. Also on April 1 from 8 to 2. Forty-eight co-ed adultteams compete in two divisions — casual andcompetitive. Organized by District Sports. WestPotomac Park, West of 17th Street and south ofConstitution Avenue NW. 877-442-5666.www.cherryblossomsoccer.org. Free to watch.CHERRY BLOSSOM RUGBY TOURNAMENT From 8 to4:30. Also on April 1 from 8 to 4. The two-daycompetition features some of the best college andhigh school teams in the country. Rosecroft Raceway,6336 Rosecroft Dr., Fort Washington. 800-686-9732.www.washingtonrugbyclub.org. Free to watch.CHERRY BLOSSOM 10-MILE RUN HEALTH ANDFITNESS EXPO See March 30.CHERRY BLOSSOM FREEDOM WALK At 10.Commemorates and celebrates the JapaneseAmerican experience during World War II. Donationsaccepted. National Japanese American Memorial, DStreet and New Jersey Avenue NW. 877-442-5666.www.ncbfreedomwalk.org. Free.SHOJI LAMP WORKSHOP At 10. Make a table lampwith wood and rice paper. Learn about the simple Zen

aesthetic of Japan’s ancient decorative traditions.Materials supplied. Green Spring Gardens Park, 4603Green Spring Rd., Alexandria. 703-642-5173.www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/gsgp. $38.JAPANESE CULTURE DAY From 10 to 3. Also onMarch April 14 from 10 to 3. An introduction toJapanese culture with origami, theater presentations,a kimono display and other activities. Library ofCongress, Jefferson Building, 10 First St. SE.202-707-4604. www.loc.gov. Free.“MY NEIGHBOR TOTORO” At 10:30. Also on MarchApril 7 at 10:30. For age 6 and older. The English-language version of the 1988 Japanese movie aboutSatsuke and her younger sister, Mei, who move to anew home to be near their mother and discover amagical world of forest spirits. National Gallery of Art,East Building, Fourth Street and Constitution AvenueNW. 202-737-4215. www.nga.gov. Free.BLOSSOM KITE FESTIVAL From 10:30 to 4:30. Kite-flying demonstrations and competitions including HotTricks Showdown and Rokkaku Battle. Bring your ownkite or make one at an activity station. WashingtonMonument, 15th Street and Constitution Avenue NW.877-442-5666. www.nationalcherryblossomfestival.org.Free.CHERRY BLOSSOM TEA GATHERING AT IPPAKUTEIFrom 11 to 4. Traditional Japanese tea will be served atthe former residence of the ambassador of Japan.Registration required. Old Residence of the Embassyof Japan, 2520 Massachusetts Ave. NW.703-243-8608. $20.SAMURAI CINEMA At 11. A screening of three classicsof Japanese cinema, all featuring Toshiro Mifune —“Samurai Rebellion” at 11, “The Hidden Fortress” at1:30 and “The Sword of Doom” at 4:15. The filmscontain violent content. National Geographic,Grosvenor Auditorium, 1600 M St. NW. 202-857-7700.www.nationalgeographic.com/museum. $5 per film.BLOSSOM SECRETS STROLL At 2. Also on MarchApril 7 and 14 at 2. Guided walking tour by WashingtonWalks features the stories and secrets behind thecherry blossoms. Smithsonian Metro Station, 1200Independence Ave. SW. 202-484-1565.www.washingtonwalks.com. $15.

TAIKOZA At 4. A concert of Japanese music fortraditional drums. National Gallery of Art, WestBuilding, Sixth Street and Constitution Avenue NW.202-737-4215. www.nga.gov. Free.ALEXANDRIA SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA March 31 at8 and April 1 at 3. Midori plays the Mendelssohnconcerto during an ASO residency. Northern VirginiaCommunity College, Rachel M. Schlesinger ConcertHall and Arts Center, 3001 N. Beauregard St.,Alexandria. 703-845-6156.www.nvcc.edu/schlesingercenter. www.alexsym.org.$40-$75, $5 ages 8 to 18.

APRIL 1CHERRY BLOSSOM 10-MILE RUN At 7:30. TheRunner’s Rite of Spring also includes a 5K run-walkand a half-mile kids’ run. The lottery for the 10-milerun and 5K has closed. Runners can still participateby raising $500 for the official race charity, CreditUnions for Kids. The fun run for kids is free.Washington Monument, 15th Street and ConstitutionAvenue NW. 301-320-3350. www.cherryblossom.org.CHERRY BLOSSOM SOCCER TOURNAMENT SeeMarch 31.CHERRY BLOSSOM RUGBY TOURNAMENT SeeMarch 31.SPRING IN THE ASIAN COLLECTIONS From 10 tonoon. Also on April 22 from 10 to noon. HorticulturistChris Upton leads of tour of plants from China, Japanand Korea that cover 13 acres of hillside. Walksinclude steep and unpaved trails. U.S. NationalArboretum, 3501 New York Ave. NE. 202-245-2726.www.usna.usda.gov. $15.ANRAKU-MIYATA DUO At 11:30 and 6:30. For age 8and older. Anraku, principal harpist of theMetropolitan Opera Orchestra and Miyata, sho artist,perform traditional Japanese and classical pieces.National Gallery of Art, West Building Garden Court,600 Constitution Ave. NW. 202-842-6941.202-737-4215. www.nga.gov. Free.ALEXANDRIA SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA See March31.HANAMI AFTER DARK From 5 to 8. An evening ofsushi, sake, wine, art and music, in an indoor versionof Hanami at night, a Japanese tradition of gatheringto enjoy the beauty of the cherry blossoms. Reception-style celebration will feature Chef Toru Oga and histeam of sushi masters. Ronald Reagan Building &International Trade Center, 1300 Pennsylvania Ave.NW. 202-312-1552. $175, seniors and age 12 andyounger $65.

APRIL 3SAMURAI ORCHIDS LECTURE AND TOUR From 6:30to 8:30. Japanese orchid expert Jason Fischerdiscusses the history and culture of the Japanesefascination with their native orchids. Reservationsrequired. U.S. Botanic Garden, 100 Maryland Ave. SW.202-225-8333. www.usbg.gov. Free.

APRIL 4CLASSICAL VIOLIN AND PIANO RECITAL At 12:10.Ayano Ninomiya and Timothy Lovelace perform worksby Takemitsu and others. National Gallery of Art, WestBuilding, Ground Floor Lecture Hall, Sixth Street andConstitution Avenue NW. 202-737-4215. www.nga.gov.Free.MAKI MORI At 7:30. The soprano performs as part of“Overtures,” S&R Foundation’s Artist Concert Series.Each artist performs an existing composition that hasbeen repurposed with a focus on the centennial.Kennedy Center, Terrace Theater, 2700 F St. NW.202-467-4600. 800-444-1324. www.kennedy-center.org. $20.

APRIL 5GREEN SPRING GARDENS’ CHILDREN’S CHERRYBLOSSOM CELEBRATION From noon to 4. Also onApril 6 from noon to 4. Among the activities offeredduring this open house include origami and findingcherry trees in the garden. Green Spring GardensPark, 4603 Green Spring Rd., Alexandria.703-642-5173. www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/gsgp. $8.PHILLIPS AFTER 5: JOURNEY TO JAPAN From 5 to8:30. Be inspired by Japan in an evening featuringgallery talks, language lessons and Japan-themedfood and drink. Traditional Japanese kimonos aremodeled by former Cherry Blossom queens andprincesses. In collaboration with the Embassy ofJapan, Japan-America Society of Washington, D.C. andthe State Society of Washington, D.C. PhillipsCollection, 1600 21st St. NW. 202-387-2151.www.phillipscollection.org. $12, students and seniors$10.TAMAKI KAWAKUBO At 7:30. The violinist performs

as part of “Overtures,” S&R Foundation’s ArtistConcert Series. Each artist performs an existingcomposition that has been repurposed with a focus onthe centennial. Kennedy Center, Terrace Theater,2700 F St. NW. 202-467-4600. 800-444-1324.www.kennedy-center.org. $20.DANA TAI SOON BURGESS & CO. At 8. Also on April 6at 8. The modern dance company kicks off its 20thanniversary season with a performance featuring fourcritically acclaimed repertory works. The performanceis in partnership with the National Cherry BlossomFestival. George Washington University, MarvinCenter, 800 21st St. NW. 202-297-2436.www.dtsbco.com. $25, students $5.

APRIL 6NATIONAL AQUARIUM TOTS & TALES At 10. Also onApril 20 at 10. Children are introduced to the cherryblossom celebration and tradition with story time,science experiments, crafts and a tour of theaquarium. National Aquarium, Washington,Department of Commerce Building, 14th Street andConstitution Avenue NW. 202-482-2825.www.nationalaquarium.com. Free.GREEN SPRING GARDENS’ CHILDREN’S CHERRYBLOSSOM CELEBRATION See April 5.URBAN TANGO TRIO At 7:30. The group performs aspart of “Overtures,” S&R Foundation’s Artist ConcertSeries. Each artist performs an existing compositionthat has been repurposed with a focus on thecentennial. Kennedy Center, Terrace Theater, 2700 FSt. NW. 202-467-4600. 800-444-1324. www.kennedy-center.org. $20.DANA TAI SOON BURGESS & CO See April 5.

APRIL 7“MY NEIGHBOR TOTORO” See March 31.CHERRY BLOSSOM YOGA At 10:30. Take a yogaclass on the National Mall. Sylvan Theater, on theWashington Monument grounds near 15th Street andIndependence Avenue SW. 202-518-4075. Free.

SOUTHWEST WATERFRONT FIREWORKS FESTIVALFrom 2 to 9. Three stages with live music and family-friendly water-related activities. Fireworks begin at8:30. Southwest Waterfront, Water Street SW.877-442-5666. www.nationalcherryblossomfestival.org.Free.BLOSSOM SECRETS STROLL See March 31.CHERRY BLOSSOM PRINCESS TEA From 3 to 5.Cherry Blossom princesses and queens will helpfuture princesses make tiaras. Attendees areencouraged to dress as princesses and can takephotos with the princesses and queens. Tea includessandwiches, beverages, snacks and desserts.Marriott Renaissance Hotel, 999 Ninth St. NW.www.statesocieties.org. $35, ages 2 to 12 $25,younger free.CHERRY BLOSSOM FIREWORKS DINNER CRUISEAt 5:30. Classic dinner cruise on the Spirit ofWashington or Odyssey with a breathtaking view of thefireworks display. The Gangplank Marina, 600 WaterSt. SW. 866-306-2469. www.spiritofwashington.com.$99.90 Spirit of Washington; $124.90 Odyssey.NATIONAL CONFERENCE OF STATE SOCIETIESCHERRY BLOSSOM OPENING RECEPTION From 7 to10. Featuring the U.S. and Japan Cherry Blossomqueens and the state, territory and internationalprincesses. 20 F Street Conference Center, 20 F St.NW. www.statesocieties.org. $50, ages 12 to 2 $25,younger free.DC CRUISES CHERRY BLOSSOM FIREWORKSCRUISE At 7:15. A two-hour boat ride includes views ofmonuments at night and the fireworks display. Nochildren younger than 7. Washington Harbour, 3050 KSt. NW. 301-765-0750. www.dc-cruises.com. $68, ages7 to 12 $58.ANDY AKIHO At 7:30. The percussionist performs aspart of “Overtures,” S&R Foundation’s Artist ConcertSeries. Each artist performs an existing compositionthat has been repurposed with a focus on thecentennial. Kennedy Center, Terrace Theater, 2700 FSt. NW. 202-467-4600. 800-444-1324. www.kennedy-center.org. $20.

APRIL 8OFFICIAL JAPANESE STONE LANTERN LIGHTINGCEREMONY From 2:30 to 4:30. The historic lantern islit in a ceremony featuring traditional Japaneseperformers. Tidal Basin, circled by IndependenceAvenue, 15th Street SW and Ohio Drive.www.statesocieties.org. Free.SOICHI MURAJI At 7:30. The guitarist performs aspart of “Overtures,” S&R Foundation’s Artist ConcertSeries. Each artist performs an existing compositionthat has been repurposed with a focus on thecentennial. Kennedy Center, Terrace Theater, 2700 FSt. NW. 202-467-4600. 800-444-1324. www.kennedy-center.org. $20.

APRIL 9HANAMI FESTIVAL — THROUGH THE EYES OFSENIORS At 6:30. Actors portray stories collectedfrom seniors ages 85 to 105 who reminisce aboutmemorable moments and events during the earlyyears when the cherry blossom trees first arrived inWashington. Woolly Mammoth Theatre, 641 D St. NW.843-636-6863. www.woollymammoth.net. $100.

APRIL 10SAYAKA SHOJI At 7:30. The violinist performs as partof “Overtures,” S&R Foundation’s Artist ConcertSeries. Each artist performs an existing compositionthat has been repurposed with a focus on thecentennial. Kennedy Center, Terrace Theater, 2700 FSt. NW. 202-467-4600. 800-444-1324. www.kennedy-center.org. $20.

APRIL 11JACK STRING QUARTET RECITAL At 12:10. Aperformance of works by Hosokawa and Ives. NationalGallery of Art, East Building, East Building Concourse,Auditorium, Fourth Street and Constitution AvenueNW. 202-842-6941. 202-737-4215. www.nga.gov.Free.JAPANESE WAY OF TEA From 12:30 to 2. Apresentation of one of Japan’s oldest traditions, theway of Japanese tea, including introduction to and thehistory of tea ceremony, demonstration and serving oftea. Reservations required. Japan Information andCulture Center, 1150 18th St. NW. 202-238-6900.Free.CHERRY BLOSSOM PRINCESSES TALK From 1 to 2.Four princesses from 1948, 1974, 1981 and 2012discuss their experiences. The 1981 princess isdonating her collection of National Cherry BlossomFestival brochures to the Library of Congress. Library

of Congress, Jefferson Building, 10 First St. SE.202-707-4604. www.loc.gov. Free.

APRIL 12CHERRY BLOSSOM PRINCESS LUNCHEON From11:30 to 1. Featuring the U.S. and Japan CherryBlossom Queens along with the princesses, theDogwood queens and princesses and internationalguests from Japan. The keynote speaker is formerCherry Blossom Princess Shannon Vinson, a captainin the U.S. Air Force. Marriott Renaissance Hotel, 999Ninth St. NW. 202-898-9000. www.statesocieties.org.$55, ages 2 to 12 $25, younger free.TASTE OF THE STATES From 6 to 8:30. Featuring theU.S. and Japan Cherry Blossom Queens andprincesses as well as food and drink from every regionof the country. Fort Myer Officers’ Club, Koran Room,214 Jackson Ave., Arlington. www.statesocieties.org.$25.NATIONAL CHERRY BLOSSOM FESTIVAL GALADINNER CRUISE At 6. On the official dinner cruise ofthe festival, cruise past the cherry blossoms that linethe Potomac while enjoying a three-course dinner, liveentertainment and dancing. The Gangplank Marina,600 Water St. SW. 202-661-7567.www.nationalcherryblossomfestival.org. $125.YOKO OWADA At 6. One of Japan’s leading flutistsperforms. Kennedy Center, Millennium Stage, 2700 FSt. NW. 202-467-4600. 800-444-1324. www.kennedy-center.org. Free.“JAPAN’S NOH COSTUMES: AN AMERICANAPPRECIATION” From 6:30 to 9. As a result of the giftof the cherry trees, American collectors and museumsgrew enchanted by Japan’s noh costumes. Worn byactors for the performance of the poetic noh drama,these costumes are known for their exceptionalquality. Joyce Denney, assistant curator at theMetropolitan Art Museum, discusses Americancollectors and the acquisitions. Registration required.Textile Museum, 2320 S St. NW. 202-667-0441.www.textilemuseum.org. $25.YU KOSUGE At 7:30. The pianist performs as part of“Overtures,” S&R Foundation’s Artist Concert Series.

Each artist performs an existing composition that hasbeen repurposed with a focus on the centennial.Kennedy Center, Terrace Theater, 2700 F St. NW.202-467-4600. 800-444-1324. www.kennedy-center.org. $20.

APRIL 13ORCHID INNOVATIONS IN THE ORIENT LECTUREFrom noon to 1. Tom Mirenda, Smithsonian InstitutionOrchid Collection specialist, shares the latest orchidinnovations from his recent trip to Asia. Registrationrequired. U.S. Botanic Garden, 100 Maryland Ave. SW.202-225-8333. www.usbg.gov. Free.CLASSICAL JAPANESE MUSIC CONCERT At 12:10.Flutist Yoko Owada, pianist Michael Langlois andpercussionists Chris DeChiara and Eric Plewinskiperform a Japanese musical meditation, latecomersnot admitted. National Gallery of Art, Ground floorlecture hall, 600 Constitution Ave. NW. 202-842-6941.www.nga.gov. Free.JAPAN BOWL From 2 to 5. Japanese language andculture competition for American high schoolstudents. The championship round is free and open tothe public, but reservations are preferred. National 4-H Youth Conference Center, 7100 Connecticut Ave,Chevy Chase. 202-833-2210. www.us-japan.org/dc/japanbowl.php. Free.CHERRY BLOSSOM QUEEN CORONATION ANDGRAND BALL At 6. Sushi reception, silent auction,performances by AVP, an all-male a cappella groupfrom the University of Virginia, dancing to the 257thArmy Band and a top-40 DJ. Marriott RenaissanceHotel, 999 Ninth St. NW. www.statesocieties.org. $150.SPY AT NIGHT From 6 to 11. Live a spy’s life at aspecial after-hours event with spy games, trivia andspecial tradecraft demonstrations including a ninjaperformance. International Spy Museum, 800 F St.NW. 202-393-7798. www.spymuseum.org. $19.95,seniors, military, law enforcement $14.95, ages 7 to17 $13.95, younger free.TAMAGAWA UNIVERSITY TAIKO DANCE ENSEMBLEAt 6. Japan’s top performing arts university performsJapanese dances. Kennedy Center, Millennium Stage,2700 F St. NW. 202-467-4600. 800-444-1324.www.kennedy-center.org. Free.

APRIL 14FLOWERING CHERRIES: FROM ANCIENT JAPANESEFORESTS TO MODERN AMERICAN LANDSCAPESFrom 10 to noon. National Arboretum botanist AlanWhittemore lectures on how Japan’s early warlords, afifth-century wave of immigration and politicalupheavals contributed to the flowering cherry treebecoming Japan’s official symbol of spring. Arboretumgeneticist Margaret Pooler discusses the USDA’s rolein the gift of the trees from Japan in 1912.Horticulturist David Kidwell-Slak leads a tour anddiscusses how to select, plant and care for the trees.U.S. National Arboretum, 3501 New York Ave. NE.202-245-2726. $15.NATIONAL CHERRY BLOSSOM FESTIVAL PARADEFrom 10 to noon. Lavish floats, giant helium balloons,marching bands and performers. Constitution Avenuebetween Seventh and 17th streets NW. 877-442-5666.www.nationalcherryblossomfestival.org. $20grandstand seating, free standing along route.GREEN SPRING GARDENS SPRING BLOSSOMGARDEN TOUR From 10 to 11:30. Master gardenerdocents lead a tour highlighting cherry trees and early-spring blooms. In honor of the National CherryBlossom Festival, enjoy Japanese tea and sweets inthe Historic House. Green Spring Gardens, 4603Green Spring Rd., Alexandria. 703-941-7987.www.greenspring.org. $12.JAPANESE CULTURE DAY See March 31.JAPANESE STREET FESTIVAL From 11 to 6. Thelargest Japanese cultural festival in the United Statesfeatures food, arts and culture, martial artsdemonstrations and traditional and J-Popperformances on four stages. 12th Street andPennsylvania Avenue NW. 202-833-2210.www.nationalcherryblossomfestival.org. $5, age 12 andyounger free.BLOSSOM SECRETS STROLL See March 31.ANIME ARTISTS ENCOUNTER ARHATS At 2. Also onApril 15 at 1. Part of Imaginasia family programs. Usea manga-style activity book to explore the exhibition“Masters of Mercy: Buddha’s Amazing Disciples” andthen work with an anime artist to make anime andmanga drawings. Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, 1050Independence Ave. SW. 202-633-1000. asia.si.edu.Free.TEN-CHI-JIN AND UFO FUROSAWA At 6. TheSakuyahime Cultural Delegation presents a programfeaturing music and dance of Japan. Kennedy Center,Millennium Stage, 2700 F St. NW. 202-467-4600.

800-444-1324. www.kennedy-center.org. Free.

APRIL 15CASTLES IN THE SKY: MIYAZAKI, TAKAHATA ANDTHE MASTERS OF STUDIO GHIBLI From 11 to 9. The10th annual anime marathon features four films:“Ponyo,” “Porco Rosso,” “Princess Mononoke” and“Spirited Away,” which won an Academy Award forbest animated feature. Freer Gallery of Art, MeyerAuditorium, Jefferson Drive and 12th Street SW.202-633-1000. asia.si.edu. Free.BILLY FOX AND THE KITSUNE ENSEMBLE At 11:30.For age 8 and older, an improvisational chambergroup uses Western instruments in exploringJapanese folklore and performs “Amanogawa,” acontemporary work for Japanese flute and percussion.National Gallery of Art, East Building Concourse,Auditorium, Fourth Street and Constitution AvenueNW. 202-737-4215. www.nga.gov. Free.ANIME ARTISTS ENCOUNTER ARHATS See April 14.KITANODAI GAGAKU ENSEMBLE At 6. The grouppromotes Japanese culture through gagaku concerts,workshops and performances. Kennedy Center,Millennium Stage, 2700 F St. NW. 202-467-4600.800-444-1324. www.kennedy-center.org. Free.

APRIL 17ZUIHO TAIKO At 6. A group of taiko drummers withintellectual disabilities performs. Kennedy Center,Millennium Stage, 2700 F St. NW. 202-467-4600.800-444-1324. www.kennedy-center.org. Free.BLOSSOMS AND BASEBALL At 7:05. Watch theWashington Nationals play the Houston Astros onNational Cherry Blossom Festival Night. Getdiscounted tickets by going to the Web site; $2 fromeach ticket benefits the Festival. Nationals Park, 1500South Capitol St. SE. 202-675-6287.www.nationals.com/cherryblossom.

APRIL 18RAKUGO At 6. A performance of the Japanese form ofcomedic storytelling, made possible in cooperationwith the Embassy of Japan. Kennedy Center,Millennium Stage, 2700 F St. NW. 202-467-4600.800-444-1324. www.kennedy-center.org. Free.

APRIL 19100 YEARS OF KIMONOS From 6 to 9. See Hillwood’sJapanese-style garden by moonlight. Paul MacLardy,co-author of “Kimono-Vanishing Tradition,” gives alecture on kimonos, which will be for sale at the trunkshow. Hillwood Estate, Museum and Gardens, 4155Linnean Ave. NW. 202-686-5807.www.hillwoodmuseum.org. $20, $7 college students.

APRIL 20NATIONAL AQUARIUM TOTS & TALES See April 6.CLAIRE HUANGCI At 12:10. Pianist performs works byChopin, Tchaikovsky and others in honor of theNational Cherry Blossom Festival. National Gallery ofArt, Ground floor lecture hall, 600 Constitution Ave.NW. 202-842-6941. www.nga.gov. Free.

APRIL 21LANTERN-MAKING FAMILY DAY From 10 to 2. Twosessions at 10 and noon followed by a showcaseprocession, entertainment, sushi and Japanese foodfor purchase. Rain date April 22. The Yards Park, Thirdand Water streets SE. 202-465-7080.www.capitolriverfront.org. Free.CHERRY BLOSSOM REGATTA From 11 to 4. Watchsailboats from DISC and International Sunfish ClassAssociation race near Hains Point and East PotomacPark with cherry trees lining the shore. Rain date isApril 22. Hains Point, 1090 Ohio Dr. SW.202-445-6661. Free.“SUMMER WARS” At 11:30. Also on April 28 at 11:30.For age 12 and older. The English-language version ofthe 2009 Japanese movie about a high schoolstudent, Kenji, who is invited by his crush, Natsuki, totake a summer job in her hometown where he learnshe is to pretend he is her fiance. National Gallery ofArt, East Building, Fourth Street and ConstitutionAvenue NW. 202-737-4215. www.nga.gov. Free.JAPANESE ART AND CULTURE DAY From noon to 9.Workshops, demonstrations, performances and talksfeaturing Japanese art, culture, food and music.Double-feature of Japanese films ($5) begins at 4:30.Workhouse Arts Center, 9601 Ox Rd., Lorton.703-584-2900. www.workhousearts.org. Free.BONSAI BASICS At 1. The class, taught by JackFitzSimons, is designed to educate the novice on thebasics of Bonsai. Green Spring Gardens Park, 4603Green Spring Rd., Alexandria. 703-642-5173.www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/gsgp. $17.KYO-SHIN-AN ARTS At 6. The New York-basedorganization is dedicated to the integration ofJapanese instruments into Western Classical music.Kennedy Center, Millennium Stage, 2700 F St. NW.202-467-4600. 800-444-1324. www.kennedy-center.org. Free.CHERRY BLAST: ART AND MUSIC DANCE PARTYFrom 9 to 1. A multi-sensory party with DJs and visualand performance artists. For age 21 and older, IDrequired. 2235 Shannon Pl. NW. 877-442-5666.www.nationalcherryblossomfestival.org. $10.

APRIL 22SPRING IN THE ASIAN COLLECTIONS See April 1.“THE THOUSAND-YEAR FIRE” At 11:30. Also on April29 at 11:30. For age 9 and older. The 2004 Japanesemovie is about 11-year-old Satoshi, who, mourning theloss of his parents, moves to a small seaside town andparticipates in Hiwatashi, a ritual swim in the opensea. In Japanese with English subtitles. NationalGallery of Art, East Building, Fourth Street andConstitution Avenue NW. 202-737-4215. www.nga.gov.Free.WABI-SABI: EMBRACING IMPERFECTION From 1 to3. Discover the Japanese art of finding beauty in thenaturally imperfect world. Explore the philosophy of“making do” that resonates in austere times and itsorigins in the tea garden. Japanese tea and traditionalsweets are served. Green Spring Gardens, 4603Green Spring Rd., Alexandria. 703-941-7987.www.greenspring.org. $25.“HANEZU” At 4:30. A screening of the 2011 Japanesefilm about a delicate love triangle set in historic Asuka.National Gallery of Art, East Building, Fourth Streetand Constitution Avenue NW. 202-842-6799.www.nga.gov. Free.NATIONAL GALLERY OF ART ORCHESTRA CONCERTAt 6:30. Guest conductor Chosei Komatsu leads theensemble and violinist Charles Wetherbee; music byFujiwara, Hisaishi and Noadira. National Gallery of Art,West Building Garden Court, 600 Constitution Ave.NW. 202-737-4215. www.nga.gov. Free.

APRIL 25ROBERT HENRY AND YOSHIKAZU At 12:10. Thepianists perform music by Haydn, Scarlatti andSchubert in honor of the National Cherry BlossomFestival. National Gallery of Art, Ground floor lecturehall, 600 Constitution Ave. NW. 202-842-6941.www.nga.gov.

APRIL 26PM @ THE TM From 6 to 9. Bring a blanket or yourtatami mat to this happy hour event and enjoy drinks,food and a film screening in the museum’s gardens.Inside, take part in gallery talks and a craft activity.Textile Museum, 2320 S St. NW. 202-667-0441.www.textilemuseum.org. $15.

APRIL 27PETALFEST CLOSING BLOCK PARTY From 5 to 8. Thefestival’s closing event features performances, foodand beverages. The 2012 Cherry Blossom PhotoContest winners are revealed. Woodrow Wilson Plaza,13th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW.877-442-5666. www.nationalcherryblossomfestival.org.Free.

APRIL 28“SUMMER WARS” See April 21.

APRIL 29“THE THOUSAND-YEAR FIRE” See April 22.KIOI SINFONIETTA TOKYO At 6:30. Thierry Fischerleads the ensemble and pianist Yu Kosuge. NationalGallery of Art, West Building Garden Court, 600Constitution Ave. NW. 202-842-6941. 202-737-4215.www.nga.gov. Free.

Daily events

BILL O’LEARY/WASHINGTON POST

During the National Cherry Blossom Festival, you can opt to spend a quiet sunset under the blossoms or take in the trees withthousands of your closest friends. Events run from mid-March until the end of April; peak viewing is usually in early April.

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This delightful keepsake, beautifully illustratedwith more than 150 photographs, tells the storyof how the gift of trees from Japan to the U.S.is now the capital city’s greatest springtimecelebration. It’s the perfect gift book for bothlocals and visitors.

The Official Book of the National Cherry Blossom Festival Centennial CelebrationFilled with engaging pictures and read-aloudtext, young children and their families willenjoy learning more about these iconictrees that symbolize beauty, renewal, andinternational friendship.

To learn more about the festival, visit: nationalcherryblossomfestival.org

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Available wherever books are sold and atNational Geographic, 1145 17th Street, NW.

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1. “100 YEARS OF JAPANESE KIMONO”Through April 30. The exhibit examines theevolution of kimono-making. In conjunctionwith the exhibit, a three-day fundraiser willtake place in the hotel’s Corcoran Room April 4from 5 to 8; April 5-6 from noon to 8. Kimonos,accessories, jewelry and other Japanese itemswill be on sale. Paul MacLardy will sign copiesof his book, “Kimono, Vanishing Tradition.”Benefits the National Cherry Blossom Festivaland the Japan-America Society of Washington,D.C. Mandarin Oriental Hotel, 1330 MarylandAve. SW. 877-442-5666.www.nationalcherryblossomfestival.org. Free.

2. “2:46 AND THEREAFTER” Through March25. Works in a variety of media, highlightingemerging Japanese artists’ responses to theMarch 2011 earthquake and tsunami thatstruck Japan. Edison Place Gallery, 702 EighthSt. NW. 202-483-1102. www.transformerdc.org.Free.

3. AFTERNOON CHERRY BLOSSOMS AT THETIDAL BASIN PHOTO TOUR Various datesMarch 24-April 8 from 3 to 5:30. WashingtonPhoto Safari leads tours of the trees with anorientation on travel photography and camerause. Open to photographers at any skill levelwith any kind of camera. FDR MemorialBookstore, West Potomac Park.202-537-0937.www.washingtonphotosafari.com. $64.

4. ALL-DIGITAL CHERRY BLOSSOMSUNRISE SPECIAL PHOTO TOUR March 28,30, April 4 and 6 from 6:15 to 8:30.Professional digital photographer Melanie Ottohelps adjust those macro settings for blossomclose-ups. Tidal Basin Boathouse, 1501 MaineAve. SW. 202-537-0937.www.washingtonphotosafari.com. $109.

5. “ART OF DARKNESS: JAPANESEMEZZOTINTS FROM THE HITCHCOLLECTION” April 7-July 8. Approximately 20prints and copperplates show Japaneseartists’ innovative uses of the Europeantechnique of mezzotint. Arthur M. SacklerGallery, 1050 Independence Ave. SW.202-633-1000. asia.si.edu. Free.

5. BEFORE DAWN April 21-22, 28-29 at 2. Partof the ImaginAsia family program. Create aprinting block out of Styrofoam then use bluepigments to print landscapes like those ofJapanese artist Katsushika Hokusai. FreerGallery of Art, Jefferson Drive and 12th StreetSW. 202-633-1000. asia.si.edu. Free.

6. BEYOND THE TIDAL BASIN:INTRODUCING OTHER GREAT FLOWERINGTREES March 20-April 27. Drive, bike or walkthrough a self-guided tour of the arboretum’sdiverse collection of cherries, including twonew varieties developed by arboretumscientists. Brochures available at the visitorcenter. U.S. National Arboretum, 3501 NewYork Ave. NE. 202-245-2726.www.usna.usda.gov. Free.

7. BLOSSOMS BITES BY BIKE TOUR March23-24, 30-31, April 6-7, 13-14, 20-21 and 27 at4. Bike and Roll and DC Metro Food Tours teamup for a three-hour food and bike tour centeredon the cherry blossoms. Enjoy tastings fromthree top D.C. eateries as you cycle throughDupont Circle, U Street and Logan Circleneighborhoods. Reservations required. Feeincludes guide, bike rental, cherry-themedbites and a bottle of water. Not recommendedfor children. Old Post Office Pavilion, 1100Pennsylvania Ave. NW. 202-683-8847.www.bikethesites.com. $79.

BLOSSOMS BY BIKE RIVER RIDE March24-25, 30-April 1, April 6-8, 13-15 at 1. Bike andRoll leads a three-hour, 15-mile ride along theMount Vernon Trail from Old Town Alexandriato the District. Must be at least 13 years old.Bike and Roll Shop, One Wales Alley,Alexandria. 703-548-7655.www.bikethesites.com. $42.

8. BLOSSOMS BY BIKE March 24-25, 30-April1, April 6-8, 13-15 at 2. Bike and Roll leads atwo-hour, seven-mile tour of the cherry treesaround the Potomac Tidal Basin and EastPotomac Park. Union Station, 50Massachusetts Ave. NE. 202-289-1908.www.bikethesites.com. $35, children $25.

CELEBRATING JAPANESE ART & CULTUREMarch 25-April 25. American University willfeature Ukiyo-e prints from its Charles NelsonSpinks collection depicting actors, famousplaces, geisha, nature scenes and landscapesby Hiroshige, Hokusai and other artists.American University, Katzen Arts Center, 4400Massachusetts Ave. NW. 202-885-3237.www.american.edu/katzen. Free.

9. “CHERRY BLOSSOM CLOUD” March 20-April 27. Charles Juhasz-Alvarado uses cherrywood to create a temporary public soundsculpture that celebrates the gift of the trees.Part of the DC Commission on the Arts andHumanities’ 5x5 Temporary Public Art Project.Arena Stage, 1101 Sixth St. SW. 202-724-5613.dcarts.dc.gov. Free.

10. CHERRY BLOSSOM FESTIVALPERFORMANCE STAGE April 1-5, 8-12 and 15from noon to 5 and April 6-7, 13-14 from noonto 6. Music, dance, martial arts, exhibitions,

marching bands and more. Sylvan Theater, onthe Washington Monument grounds near 15thStreet and Independence Avenue SW.877-442-5666.www.nationalcherryblossomfestival.org. Free.

11. CHERRY BLOSSOM SIGHTSEEINGCRUISES March 24-26, 28-April 8 at 1:45 and3:45. Take a 45-minute boat tour around HainsPoint and see up-close views of the cherryblossoms. Gangplank Marina, 600 Water St.SW. 866-302-2469.www.spiritofwashington.com. $23.21, ages 3 to12 $18.75.

4. CHERRY BLOSSOMS AT SUNRISE PHOTOTOUR March 26-27, 29, 31-April 1, April 5, 7-8from 6:15 to 8:30. Washington Photo Safarileads a tour of the trees during the earlymorning hours. Tidal Basin Boathouse, 1501Maine Ave. SW. 202-537-0937.www.washingtonphotosafari.com. $69.

12. “COLORFUL REALM: JAPANESE BIRD-AND-FLOWER PAINTINGS BY ITO JAKUCHU(1716-1800)” March 30-April 29. A rare set of18th-century scrolls is on display following asix-year restoration, the first time all 30paintings have been on view in the UnitedStates. National Gallery of Art, West Building,Sixth Street and Constitution Avenue NW.202-737-4215. www.nga.gov.

13. DC CRUISES CHERRY BLOSSOM RIVERTOUR March 31, April 1, 6 starting at 11:40;April 7, 8, 9 starting at 10:40; April 14-15starting at 12:40. A 50-minute boat ride besidethe cherry trees and monuments. No childrenyounger than 4. DC Cruises, 1100 Maine Ave.SW. 301-765-0750. www.dc-cruises.com. $22,ages 4 to 12 $16.

14. “DOGUGAESHI” April 11-15, 17-22.Puppeteer Basil Twist takes the audience on ajourney of images and emotions influenced bythe tradition of Japanese dogugaeshi stagemechanism technique and his own encounters

with the rural caretakers of this once popularart form. The performance features originalshamisen compositions created andperformed live by authorized master musicianYumiko Tanaka. Source, 1835 14th St. NW.202-204-7800. www.sourcedc.org. $35-$60.

5. “HOKUSAI: MAD ABOUT PAINTING”Through July 29. Works by the great Japanesewoodblock printmaker (1760-1849). Arthur M.Sackler Gallery, 1050 Independence Ave. SW.202-633-1000. asia.si.edu. Free.

6. IKEBANA INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITIONApril 6-22 from 10 to 4. The local chapter ofIkebana International exhibits flowerarrangements representing Ikebana schools,from traditional to contemporary. Theinstallation will change three times during theexhibit. Master teachers will give free Ikebanademonstrations on April 14, 15, 21 and 22from 1 to 2:30. U.S. National Arboretum, 3501New York Ave. NE. 202-245-2726.www.usna.usda.gov. Free.

“JAPAN’S GIFT TO NATURE: ORIENTALBRUSH PAINTING” Through April 29. DarleneKaplan displays more than 100 works of herSumi-e paintings. Artist reception on March 25from 1 to 3. Green Spring Gardens, HistoricHouse, 4603 Green Spring Rd., Alexandria.703-941-7987. www.greenspring.org. Free.

15. JAPANESE DIVAS FILM SERIES April 6,20-21 and 28 at 2:30, April 7 at 2 and 4, April 8and 29 at 4:30, April 15 at 4, May 4 at 2 andMay 5 at 1 and 3:30. Screenings of films fromthe 1940s and 1950s featuring lead actressesfrom the golden age of Japanese cinema,including Kinuyo Tanaka, Isuzu Yamada,Machiko Kyo, Setsuko Hara and HidekoTakamine. National Gallery of Art, East Building,Fourth Street and Constitution Avenue NW.202-737-4215. www.nga.gov. Free.

16. JAZZ AT THE JEFFERSON April 19-22 atnoon. Local and regional jazz artists perform.

Thomas Jefferson Memorial, 900 Ohio Dr. SW.877-442-5666.www.nationalcherryblossomfestival.org. Free.

17. LANTERN WALKS March 24-25, 28, 31-April 1, April 4, 7-8, 11, 14-15 from 8 to 10.National Park Service rangers lead a two-hour,two-mile tour around the Tidal Basin. TidalBasin, National Park Service Welcome Tent,circled by Independence Avenue, 15th StreetSW and Ohio Drive. 202-426-6841.www.nps.gov/cherry. Free.

18. “MARATHON” March 20-April 1. CathCampbell’s work is an ode to the Kwanzancherry tree, a reference to the temple onMount Hiei, home to the “Marathon Monks.”Part of the DC Commission on the Arts andHumanities’ 5x5 Temporary Public Art Project.The Yards Park, Third and Water streets SE.202-724-5613. dcarts.dc.gov. Free.

5. “MASTERS OF MERCY: BUDDHA’SAMAZING DISCIPLES” Through July 8. KanoKazunobu’s phantasmagoric paintings reflectthe lives and deeds of the Buddha’s 500disciples, which have never before beendisplayed outside Japan. Arthur M. SacklerGallery, 1050 Independence Ave. SW.202-633-1000. www.asia.si.edu. Free.

11. NATIONAL CHERRY BLOSSOM FESTIVALCRUISES March 24 and 31 at 10:45 and 7,March 25 at 10:45 and 5, March 26 at 6,March 27 at 11:15 and 6, March 28-29 andApril 2 at 11:15, March 30, April 4-6 at 11:15and 7 and April 1 and 7 at 10:45. Odysseyoffers lunch, brunch and dinner cruises.Gangplank Marina, 600 Water St. SW.866-306-2469. www.odysseycruises.com.$50.90-$114.90.

11. NATIONAL CHERRY BLOSSOM FESTIVALCRUISES March 24 at 11 and 7:30, March 25and April 1 at 11 and 5:30, March 26, 29, April2-4 at 11:30, March 27-28 and April 5 at 11:30and 6:30, March 30 and April 6 at 11:30 and7:30 and April 7 at 11. Spirit of Washingtonoffers lunch and dinner cruises. GangplankMarina, 600 Water St. SW. 202-554-5000.www.spiritofwashington.com. $42.90-$89.90.

3. NATIONAL PARK RANGER-LED CHERRYTALKS March 24-April 15 at 11, 1, 3 and 5.National Park Service rangers speak on avariety of cherry blossom topics. FranklinDelano Roosevelt Memorial, 900 Ohio DriveNW. 202-426-6841. www.nps.gov/cherry. Free.

16. NATIONAL PARK RANGER-LED CHERRYTALKS March 24-April 15 at 11, 1, 3 and 5.National Park Service rangers speak on avariety of cherry blossom topics. ThomasJefferson Memorial, 900 Ohio Dr. SW.www.nps.gov/cherry. Free.

19. “ORCHID MYSTIQUE: NATURE’STRIUMPH” Through April 29. A display oforchids from around the world. U.S. BotanicGarden, 100 Maryland Ave. SW.202-225-8333. www.usbg.gov. Free.

20. “SAKURA: CHERRY BLOSSOMS ASLIVING SYMBOLS OF FRIENDSHIP” March20-Sept. 15. Works from the library’s collection— including watercolor drawings, Japanesecolor-woodblock prints and books,photographs, editorial cartoons and posters —illuminate the story of the trees, their historicalsignificance and their continuing resonance inAmerican culture. Library of Congress,Jefferson Building, 10 First St. SE.202-707-4604. www.loc.gov. Free.

21. “SAMURAI: THE WARRIOR

TRANSFORMED” Through Sept. 3. The exhibitexamines how the samurai went from being afeudal military class to serving as a vehicle forbuilding bridges with the West. NationalGeographic, 17th and M streets NW.202-857-7588.www.nationalgeographic.com/museum. $8,seniors and military $6, ages 5 to 12 $4.

22. “SERENITY IN SILK: WORLD OF NUIDOCOLLECTION” Through April 2. JapaneseEmbroidery Center presents an exhibition thatshowcases the art, beauty and culture of aJapanese embroidery technique that goesback 1,600 years. Japan Information andCulture Center, 1150 18th St. NW.202-238-6900. Free.

23. “SONG 1: HIRSHHORN 360-DEGREEPROJECTION” March 22-May 13. TheHirshhorn’s “Suprasensorial: Experiments inLight, Color and Space” — a survey of theevolving light and space movementsymbolized by bold, large-scale multimediainstallations — opened Feb. 23. But it’s whatwill be happening outside the Hirshhorn that’smore likely to catch your eye: Artist DougAitken will use 11 high-definition projectors tocast colors and moving images as a sheath of“liquid architecture” onto the circularbuilding’s exterior nightly for two months.Observers won’t be able to fully absorb thework without walking the edifice’s perimeter.Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden,Seventh Street and Independence Avenue SW.202-633-1000. www.hirshhorn.si.edu. Free.

24. SPY CHERRY BLOSSOM SCVNGR March20-April 27. Download SCVNGR on yoursmartphone and start completing challengesthat combine cherry blossoms and the world ofespionage. International Spy Museum, 800 FSt. NW. 202-393-7798. www.spymuseum.org.Free.

5. “TATEBANKO: JAPANESE PAPERDIORAMAS” March 24-25, 31-April 1 at 2. Partof the ImaginAsia family program. Use anactivity guide to explore “Hokusai: 36 Views ofMount Fuji” and then create a layeredminiature diorama (tatebanko) using images ofJapanese artist Katsushika Hokusai’slandscape prints. Freer Gallery of Art, JeffersonDrive and 12th Street SW. 202-633-1000.asia.si.edu. Free.

4. TIDAL BASIN PADDLE BOAT RIDESThrough Sept. 3 from 10-6. During the CherryBlossom Festival, advance reservations can bemade for times between 10 and noon. TidalBasin, circled by Independence Avenue, 15thStreet SW and Ohio Drive. 202-479-2426.www.tidalbasinpaddleboats.com. $12-$19 per hour.

25. “TIMELINE — RON BLUNTPHOTOGRAPHY” March 23-April 20. Acollection of large-scale blossom photographsshowcasing new printing technologies andmaterials. Fathom Creative, 1333 14th St. NW.202-340-4714. Free.

5. TWO ARTISTS, TWO SERIES, ONEMODERN SOCIETY March 30-April 3, April5-10, 12-17, 19-24, 26, May 1, May 3-8, 10-15,17-22, 24-29, 31, June 5, June 7-12, 14-17 atnoon and 2. Explore in two exhibitions —“Hokusai: 36 Views of Mount Fuji” and“Masters of Mercy: Buddha’s AmazingDisciples” — how Katsushika Hokusai andKano Kazunobu observed the clash andcomplementary of tradition and radical changein a culture thrust into modernity. Arthur M.Sackler Gallery, 1050 Independence Ave. SW.202-633-1000. www.asia.si.edu. Free.

Ongoing events

washingtonpost.com/cherryblossoms

D Videojournalist A.J. Chavar and Information Designer Patterson Clark take youthrough an illustrated science lesson on cherry blossoms.

THE WASHINGTON POST

6Bloom updates: Stay informedabout when the best time to see

the Cherry Blossoms will be and utilizethe bloom calendar.

I Historic photos: See galleries offestivals and blooms from previous

years.

g Cherry blossom quiz: What doyou really know about the annual

rituals?

N Audio guide: Download a podcastto hear highlights of the Tidal Basinand beyond as you tour the area.

G Events calendar: Check out theevents calendar for standing and

daily events as they are announced andupdated. Go to washingtonpost.com/gogand search for cherry blossom.


National Gallery of ArtColorful Realm: Japanese Bird-and-FlowerPaintings by It� Jakuch� (1716–1800)march 30–april 29, 2012

Opening Celebrationfriday, march 30

The Art of It� Jakuch�, conference, 10 am–5 pm

saturday, march 31

My Neighbor Totoro, family film, 10:30 am

Taikoza drummers, performance, 4 pm

sunday, april 1

Anraku-Miyata Duo, family activity, 11:30 am;concert, 6:30 pm

Sixth and Constitution Avenue NWvisit nga.gov

This exhibition is organized by the National Gallery of Art, The Imperial Household Agency, and Nikkei Inc.,in association with the Embassy of Japan. It has been made possible through the generous support of Toyota,Nikkei Inc., Airbus, the E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Foundation, and The Exhibition Circle of the NationalGallery of Art. Additional sponsorship from Japan has been provided by Daikin Industries, Ltd., Ito En, Ltd.,Mitsubishi Corporation, and Panasonic Corporation. The exhibition is supported by an indemnity from theFederal Council on the Arts and the Humanities.

Detail: It� Jakuch�, Peonies and Butterflies (J. Shakuyaku gunch� zu), c. 1757 (H�reki 7), ink and color onsilk, from Colorful Realm of Living Beings (J. D�shoku sai-e), set of 30 vertical hanging scrolls, c. 1757–1766,Sannomaru Sh�z�kan (The Museum of the Imperial Collections), The Imperial Household Agency.

Arthur M. Sackler GalleryHokusai: 36 Views of Mount Fujimarch 24–june 17, 2012

Masters of Mercy: Buddha’s Amazing Disciplesmarch 10–july 8, 2012

Opening Celebration

saturday, march 24

Edo period music, cherry blossom origami,bento boxes and tea for purchase, 11 am–2 pm

The Art of Kabuki: Bando Kotoji, performance,2 pm (free tickets required)

Tatebanko: Japanese Paper Dioramas,ImaginAsia family program, 2 pm

1050 Independence Avenue SWvisit asia.si.edu/sackler25follow #JapanSpringDC on Twitter

Masters of Mercy: Buddha’s Amazing Disciples is organized by the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, Z�j�ji and NikkeiInc. in collaboration with Asano Laboratories Inc. Funding for the exhibition is provided by The Anne van BiemaEndowment Fund.

Detail: The Great Wave at Kanagawa (from a Series of Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji); Japan, Edo period,c. 1830–1832; polychrome woodblock print; ink and color on paper; published by Eiudo. H. O. HavemeyerCollection, bequest of Mrs. H. O. Havemeyer, 1929 (JP1847); © The Metropolitan Museum of Art; image source:Art Resource, NY.

Japan Spring on the national mall

the washington post cherry blossom special section 2012

Documents

flowering cherry trees

healthy trees

plantingcherry trees

infected trees

cherry blossomfestival

japanese cherry treesas

cherry blossom princesses

cherry blossom festival