Washington Hosts Annual Japanese Cherry Blossom Festival

March 30, 2011

Cherry trees in bloom are see on the edge of the tidal basin in Washington

The Spring season in Washington is highlighted by the blooming of cherry trees and a festival that runs for 16 days.

"The Cherry Blossom Festival is the (U.S. National) Park Service's biggest event over the course of the year. The single biggest event is the Fourth of July. But the biggest (overall) event is the Cherry Blossom Festival," said Steven Hanneker of the National Park Service, who greets visitors and tells them about the trees. In 1912, Japan sent the first small group of trees to Washington as a gift. Those trees turned out to be diseased, and President William Taft reluctantly ordered then to be burned. A second shipment arrived.

"Those trees were good enough to pass inspection of the Department of Agriculture. They started planting them in 1912. This spot right here marks where the first two were planted. Mrs. Taft planted the first one," he said.

Former U.S. Ambassador John Malott heads the Japan-America Society. He marvels how the area was transformed into one of the most recognizable images of Washington and the United States. "This is where it all started. There was nothing but the water. Mrs. Taft and the wife of the Japanese Ambassador came down and they planted two trees. And look what it has become today. So just from those two trees it was a great act of faith and it created one of the most famous scenes in the country," he said.