A Blossoming Friendship

Every spring, Washington, D.C. changes into a lovely canvas painted with cherry blossoms' gentle pink and white hues. The National Cherry Blossom Festival, a bright and much-anticipated event, celebrates more than simply the coming of spring. It marks the enduring friendship between the United States and Japan, a bond that was symbolically cemented on March 27, 1912, when Tokyo's Mayor Yukio Ozaki gifted Washington 3,020 cherry trees. This gesture, intended to improve mutual understanding and affection between the two countries, has grown into an annual festival that draws more than 700,000 tourists to the capital.

Roots of the Festival

Eliza Scidmore, the National Geographic Society's first female board member, proposed planting cherry trees along the Potomac River's banks in 1885. Despite initial denials, Sidmore's tenacity, together with the efforts of other significant personalities such as botanist David Fairchild and First Lady Helen Taft, resulted in the fulfillment of this vision. The voyage was not without challenges, most notably the cremation of the first 2,000 trees owing to insect infestation. However, repeated donations and diligent planning resulted in the successful planting of cherry trees, which have since become a feature of the Washington, D.C. landscape.

The Beginnings of the Festival

The inaugural Cherry Blossom Festival took place in late 1934, thanks to the collective efforts of various civic groups. By the following year, it had been officially recognized as an annual national event, with the cherry trees becoming a beloved fixture in the nation’s capital. In 1938, the proposed removal of cherry trees to make way for the Jefferson Memorial led to a dramatic protest, where women activists linked arms in opposition. This resulted in a win-win situation, as additional trees were planted around the south side of the Tidal Basin to complement the Memorial’s setting, and the festival introduced a Cherry Blossom Pageant in 1940.

In a gesture of international friendship, the Garden Club of America marked the 25th anniversary of Japan's gift of cherry blossom trees to the United States in 1937 by donating 5,000 flowering trees and plants back to Japan. The recipients of this gesture of goodwill were none other than Prince Tokugawa and the then-current Mayor of Tokyo. Prince Tokugawa, a key figure in the original gift exchange who had facilitated the introduction of Mayor Ozaki of Tokyo to U.S. leaders in 1910, played a significant role once again. This time, he was on the receiving end of the gesture, underscoring the deep and ongoing ties between the two countries. The ceremonial exchange took place at Kiyozumi Park in Tokyo, symbolizing the continued friendship and cultural exchange between the United States and Japan.

The Dark Shadow of War

In the immediate aftermath of the Pearl Harbor attack on December 7, 1941, a wave of anger swept across the United States, manifesting in various forms of patriotic fervor and, regrettably, misplaced resentment. Among the less-known consequences of this turbulent period was the vandalism of cherry trees at the Tidal Basin in Washington, D.C., a stark symbol of the times.

The cherry trees, a gift from Japan in 1912 as a gesture of goodwill, had blossomed into a cherished annual celebration with the Cherry Blossom Festival starting in 1935. However, the shock of war twisted admiration into animosity. On December 10, 1941, vandals targeted these symbols of friendship, felling four trees, including two original specimens from the initial gift. One was even defaced with a damning message: “To Hell With the Japanese.”

This act of vandalism, believed to be the work of "misguided individuals," according to then superintendent Irving C. Root, was a physical manifestation of the broader wartime hysteria. The festival was put on hiatus, Japanese art was concealed, and anything associated with Japan was subject to scorn.

A Symbol of Resilience and Renewal

Relations between Japan and the United States resumed after the end of the war in 1945. The National Cherry Blossom Festival is now a big yearly event. The trees have remained undamaged, with the exception of the rare beaver. The festival resumed in 1948, with Cherry Blossom Princesses selected from all 48 states of the United States, plus each federal territory. In 1952, the cherry tree grove along the Arakawa River in Tokyo, which was the source of the majority of Washington D.C.'s original trees, was in decline. Japan requested help from Washington to revive the grove, and the National Park Service sent budwood to Tokyo to assist. In 1954, Iguchi Sadao, Japan's Ambassador to the United States, presented a 300-year-old stone lantern to Washington. It is one of a pair, and the other can be found in Ueno Park in Tokyo. It was a commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the Treaty of Peace, Amity, and Commerce, signed between the US and Japan in Yokohama in March 1854. The lantern is 8 feet tall (2.4 meters) and weighs two tons (1814 kilograms). The cherry blossom festival is officially started by lighting this lamp. In 1965, the government of Japan gifted 3,800 Somei-Yoshino cherry trees to Lady Bird Johnson. The trees were planted on the grounds of the Washington Monument.

The cherry trees are a living heritage, with varieties like Yoshino and Kwanzan offering a breathtaking visual feast. The celebration has also prompted reciprocal acts of kindness, such as the United States donating dogwood trees to Japan, strengthening the links between the two countries. These festivities commemorate the initial gift and highlight the ongoing cultural interaction and mutual respect between the United States and Japan.

Growing Friendships Together

As the cherry blossoms envelop the Tidal Basin and surrounding areas in their warm embrace, they remind us of the power of nature to bring people together. The National Cherry Blossom Festival stands as a beacon of friendship, resilience, and beauty, attracting visitors from across the globe. It's a celebration that goes beyond the visual spectacle of flowering cherry blossoms, representing two cultures' long-standing bond and shared history of mutual support and admiration. In this sense, the event goes beyond its botanical beginnings, becoming a symbol of optimism and rejuvenation. It inspires us to consider the beauty that friendship may provide and the value of cultivating international ties. As we stroll beneath the cherry blossom canopy, we are reminded of the enduring strength of unification and the possibilities that arise from a shared vision of peace.