The Northern California Cherry Blossom Festival

The Northern California Cherry Blossom Festival, the second largest one outside of D.C. will be held soon with the coming of spring. Each year, over 150,000 people participate in this celebration and appreciate Japanese culture and beautiful cherry blossoms. This festival will show you material arts, Japanese-style parade, traditional music, and so on. You will you have opportunity to see not only traditional Japanese culture but also up- to-date one. Moreover, there are food booth, live band, and annual queen, so men and women of all ages will enjoy this festival.

This year’s Northern California Cherry Blossom Festival will be held on Saturday and Sunday April 10-11 and April 17-18, 2010. Besides, the festival will be held on post Street between Laguna and Fillmore Street. If you use bus from Union Square, you take the No. 38 bus on Geary Street, or the No. 2,3 or 4 on Sutter Street and get off at Laguna, Buchanan, or Webster.

For us, Japanese, cherry blossoms have much to do with our life. We find the coming of spring by cherry blossom bud, and sense spring as looking bloom of them. When the cherry trees are at their best, we hold banquet called “Ohanami” under these trees. People spread a picnic blanket, sit on it, and rejoice wealthy season as eating and drinking. I think this festival is pretty similar to “Ohanami”. They are different styles, but they have a common point that people come together, and share the joy of spring. What’s more, the Northern California Cherry Blossom Festival waits for you with a lot of cultural events! This April, why don’t you join the Northern California Cherry Blossom Festival, and taste Japanese style spring?

By Ayumu Nanki