• Cherry Blossoms on the Tidal Basin

    Cherry Blossom Festival

    District of Columbia

A Gift of Nations

The beauty of the cherry blossom is a potent symbol equated with the evanescence of human life and epitomizes the transformation of Japanese culture throughout the ages. The plantings of cherry trees originated in 1912 as a gift of friendship to the People of the United States from the People of Japan. In Japan.

Did You Know?

Burning of the Cherry Trees

The original gift of Cherry Trees from Japan in 1910 had to be destroyed due to disease and infestation. There was an additional gift made two years later that became the basis for the trees we still have today. More...