Celebrating the blooming of the cherry blossom has its origin in ancient Japan,going back to the eighth century and the Heian Period,but may actually go back to the third century Edo Period,when there already was a tradition of Hanami,of watching cherry blossoms bloom. Depending on location,this could be any where from March to May,and lasts only two short weeks. Celebrating the Cherry Blossom in the United States goes back to 1912 when the Mayor of Tokyo,Yukio Ozaki,gifted 3,000 cherry trees to Washington DC as a sign of goodwill and friendship. San Francisco,being home to the oldest and largest Japanese American community on the mainland,has also been hosting an annual Cherry Blossom Festival since 1968. Here you can enjoy all the traditions of Japan,like Taiko drums and dance,Japanese Ukulele called Kiwaya,with Hula dancing,general music and origami,the Japanese art of paper folding,and children's play section. There was even a very real,but very small,working fire truck that was actually used for nearly 30 years in the mountainous region of Nagano Prefecture. As enjoyed 15 April 2023.
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