What is the Cherry Blossom Festival? and why is it celebrated?

It commemorates the 1912 gift of 3,000 cherry trees from Mayor Yukio Ozaki of Tokyo to the city of Washington, DC.

In 1912, more than 3000 trees arrived in Washington, DC from Japan.

In March 1912, the first trees were planted.

In return, the US gifted flowering dogwood trees to the people of Japan.

It also celebrates the friendship between the people of the US and Japan.

This festival spans for 4 weeks.

It also welcomes more than 1.5 million people.

This festival also promotes traditional and contemporary arts and culture, natural beauty, and community sirit.

This festival is free for the public.