See Cherry Blossoms at the Seattle Cherry Blossom & Japanese Cultural Festival

Attend the Seattle Cherry Blossom & Japanese Cultural Festival from 12 – 14 April. The festival underscores the deep friendship between Seattle and Japan as it honours the renewal of life with arts, traditional tea ceremonies and Taiko drums.

The 48th annual Cherry Blossom Festival is in the books! Thanks to all who attended and to all those who make this festival possible.

In case you missed it, check out our festival’s selection of short films (generously made available by NHK), as well as the opening address by Consul General Inagaki here.

Music

Japanese instruments, including the 13-stringed koto, guitar-like shamisen, and taiko drums, are used to create both very traditional and distinctly modern sounds.

Traditional Ceremonies

Each year our festival features both demonstrations of arts such as ikebana, tea ceremony, and bonsai by masters, as well as lessons for beginners.

 

2024 FESTIVAL

The 49th annual Seattle Cherry Blossom & Japanese Cultural Festival will be held on April 12-14, 2024.

Japanese Community Market

KOBO

KOBO, which means “studio” or “artist’s space” in Japanese, has been participating in the Cherry Blossom Festival for over 15 years. For this year’s Cherry Blossom Festival collaboration, a special selection has been put together to reflect various aspects of Japanese culture and design. One of two KOBO locations we especially want to highlight is our shop located in the space in what was once known as Higo Variety Store in Japantown.

Aya and Masa Murakami in their Higo Variety Store.
Photo by Dean Wong

Seattle’s Japantown a.k.a. Nihonmachi, was a focal point for Japanese immigrants and their American-born children who made Japantown their home before WWI. The historic significance of the Sixth and Main Street area marks the center of what was once a much larger neighborhood making up the thriving business district of Japantown. Several of the buildings that made up this vibrant and bustling business district still stand today. This community continues to maintain its Japanese cultural identity, that includes a new evolving arts community and a vibrant neighborhood of restaurants, unique shops, and gallery spaces. Please come and visit Japantown next time you are in the area!
View KOBO's shop | Learn more about Nihonmachi

Tokara Japanese Confectionery

Tokara is a Seattle-based confectionery that prepares only freshly made Japanese sweets known as wagashi. These traditional Kyoto-style confections are crafted to reflect the seasonal changes and the beauty of nature in color, shape, and taste. Handmade by Chef Tokara, a selection of wagashi echoing the current season of the year – be it spring, summer, fall, or winter – are offered monthly.

Wagashi arose from the Japanese tradition of borrowing and blending facets of other cultures. Asian and Western confectionery ingredients and methods were combined, and over the centuries have become extremely refined and uniquely Japanese. Chef Tokara prepares wagashi using the centuries-old Kyoto method and carefully selects only the best and freshest ingredients to ensure her confections are of the highest quality. Her dedication and meticulous attention to craft and technique produces sweets that are visually stunning and exquisitely flavorful. And for Chef Tokara, taste is most important. “It must be delicious!”
View Tokara's sweets

Founding

Founded on a sunny afternoon on the warm grass of Seattle’s Seward Park on May 8, 1976, the Seattle Cherry Blossom and Japanese Cultural Festival was moved to the Seattle Center in 1978 and has grown to become a three-day celebration enjoyed by hundreds of thousands of people over the decades.

Over the years, the award winning non-profit Festival remains a free, life-enriching experience. It is dedicated to increasing the understanding and friendship between the people of Japan and the Pacific Northwest. As a public service, the Festival presents culturally educational programs, arts, technologies, and the rich heritage of Japan. Join us in celebrating the beautiful sakura, cherry tree, and the culturally entertaining and education blossom it inspires each year: the Seattle Cherry Blossom and Japanese Cultural Festival. Long may it blossom in your heart!

History

The Festival was initiated by a gift of 1,000 cherry trees that were given to Seattle on May 8, 1976, by Japan’s former Prime Minister, Takeo Miki, in commemoration of America’s bicentennial and the long friendship between the people of Japan and Washington state. Today, the Festival is the largest and oldest of its kind in the Northwest. Hanami, cherry blossom viewing, is a reminder to celebrate life, and the pink petals carried on the breeze at the first Festival engendered that thought. People sat on the grass, eating from sack lunches, enjoying traditional Japanese music and dances performed free on a temporary stage.

Seattle Cherry Blossom & Japanese Cultural Festival

JAPAN AMERICA CENTER SEATTLE
info@cherryblossomfest.org