Events category: Culture

Family Day: Japanese Fashion

The George Washington University Museum and The Textile Museum

Family Day: Japanese Fashion

Celebrate cherry-blossom season at the museum with a family day featuring Japanese kimono, “happi” coats and crafts for all ages. Performances of traditional Okinawan dance will showcase the colorful costume of the islands, and guests can enjoy the beautiful melodies of Japan’s national instrument, the “koto.” Design your own kimono bookmark, make a cherry blossom pendant or join us for a family-friendly tour of the galleries, including Japanese textiles on display in Irresistible: The Global Patterns of Ikat.

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PLAN YOUR FESTIVAL EXPERIENCE

What began with a gift in 1912 at the Tidal Basin is now a four-week extravaganza spanning Washington, DC, and neighboring communities in Maryland and Virginia. From exciting events to convenient hotels, delectable Cherry Picks restaurants to, vibrant Art in Bloom installations, and a jaw-dropping City in Bloom to joyful Petal Porches, see the Washington, DC area as you can only see it once a year!

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Blossom Kite Festival Presented by Amazon

Let's Go!
3/30

The National Cherry Blossom Festival Parade Presented by Events DC

Let's Go!
4/13

Frying Pan Farm Park

Frying Pan Farm Park: CANCELLED

Into The Woods At Frying Pan Farm Park

Celebrate the National Cherry Blossom Festival with this free event at Frying Pan Farm Park. We invite you to trek on our nature trail to experience the changes of spring. Visit stations peppered throughout the trail to build a fairy house, help tally migratory and year-round resident birds, and search for critters in the soil and water. Enjoy Japanese teas at the historic Frying Pan Meeting House. Stop by the Indoor Arena first for a map and instructions.

Into the Woods at Frying Pan Farm Park is now at capacity!

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YOUR FESTIVAL EXPERIENCE

What began with a gift in 1912 at the Tidal Basin is now a four-week extravaganza spanning Washington, DC, and neighboring communities in Maryland and Virginia. From exciting events to convenient hotels, delectable Cherry Picks restaurants to, vibrant Art in Bloom installations, and a jaw-dropping City in Bloom to joyful Petal Porches, see the Washington, DC area as you can only see it once a year!

Check out our other events

Blossom Kite Festival presented by Hilton

Let's Go!
3/25

Pink in the Park presented by Amazon

Let's Go!
4/1

Hayato Sumino – Co-presented with the Embassy of Japan

BLUES ALLEY JAZZ

Hayato Sumino - Co-presented with the Embassy of Japan

ADDITIONAL PERFORMANCE FROM 9 – 10:30 PM

Don’t miss a night of incredible music, co-presented with the Embassy of Japan. Recognized as “”Cateen”” by his millions of YouTube followers, Hayato Sumino, a brilliant pianist from Japan now based in New York, presents a captivating jazz program infused with classical elements and featuring compositions by Japanese composers.

ABOUT HAYATO SUMINO
Born in 1995, Hayato Sumino won the Grand Prix of the Special Class of the PTNA Piano Competition while he was a graduate student at University of Tokyo in 2018. This was the start of his full-fledged musical career.

Currently, in addition to performing concerts in Japan and aboard, he also writes, arranges, and performs his own music under the name of “Cateen” on YouTube, with over 1,000,000 subscribers and 100 million views (as of June 2022). His unique style, a fusion of classical techniques, arrangements, and improvisational skills, has been well received by many fans.

While building a solid position in classical music, he is attracting attention as a truly new type of pianist who carefully focuses on all music that beyond genres.

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PLAN YOUR FESTIVAL EXPERIENCE

What began with a gift in 1912 at the Tidal Basin is now a four-week extravaganza spanning Washington, DC, and neighboring communities in Maryland and Virginia. From exciting events to convenient hotels, delectable Cherry Picks restaurants to, vibrant Art in Bloom installations, and a jaw-dropping City in Bloom to joyful Petal Porches, see the Washington, DC area as you can only see it once a year!

Check out our other events

Pink Tie Party

Let's Go!
3/15

Opening Ceremony

Let's Go!
3/23

Japan Day 2021

SJA (Study Japanese in Arlington)

Japan DAY 2021

SJA Japan Day Origami Workshop- (Sunday, March 28 @ 5-6pm) Join us for our spring themed origami workshop. Whether you’re a beginner or professional, this will be a fun, relaxed event for the whole family.

SJA/JETAADC Japan Day Trivia Night- (Sunday, March 28 @7-8pm) Join the SJA and JETAADC communities for a fun night of Japan themed trivia. Teams will be formed at random and winners will receive prizes!

Register at https://sjastudy.org/japan-day-2021/

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Japanese Culture Day

Library of Congress

Japanese Culture Day

Japanese Culture Day will feature family activities, including Japanese drum and traditional dance performances, storytelling, and arts and crafts from Japan. Children, families and teachers can learn about Japanese culture through reading, writing and craft-making with Japanese cultural and linguistic professionals. In connection with this event, Japanese-American author Misa Sugiura will present a book talk about her series “Momo Arashima,” with focus on her research and incorporation of Japanese folklore, mythology, and legends into her middle grade fantasy novel. Advanced timed-entry reservations are recommended at https://loc.usedirect.com/LOC. Free same-day tickets will be made available at 9 a.m., using the same link.

Learn more

PLAN YOUR FESTIVAL EXPERIENCE

What began with a gift in 1912 at the Tidal Basin is now a four-week extravaganza spanning Washington, DC, and neighboring communities in Maryland and Virginia. From exciting events to convenient hotels, delectable Cherry Picks restaurants to, vibrant Art in Bloom installations, and a jaw-dropping City in Bloom to joyful Petal Porches, see the Washington, DC area as you can only see it once a year!

Check out our other events

Pink Tie Party

Let's Go!
3/15

Opening Ceremony

Let's Go!
3/23

Japanese Rinpa Screens

Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art

Japanese Rinpa Screens

Explore a selection of screens painted in the Rinpa style, an integral part of traditional Japanese interiors. These three-dimensional, folded screens play with perception, cleverly tricking the eye so that scenes of undulating dragons, stormy seas and elegant foliage come to life.

VISIT WEBSITE

PLAN YOUR FESTIVAL EXPERIENCE

What began with a gift in 1912 at the Tidal Basin is now a four-week extravaganza spanning Washington, DC, and neighboring communities in Maryland and Virginia. From exciting events to convenient hotels, delectable Cherry Picks restaurants, vibrant Art in Bloom installations, and a jaw-dropping City in Bloom to joyful Petal Porches, see the Washington, DC area as you can only see it once a year!

Explore the Festival's Roots

Travel to Japan is open once again, and we invite you experience and explore Japan firsthand. Learn more about the Festival partners who would love to help you plan your trip!

TRAVEL TO JAPAN

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The National Cherry Blossom Festival Parade presented by Events DC

Let's Go!
4/15

Sakura Matsuri- Japanese Street Festival

Let's Go!
4/15 - 4/16

Japanese Stone Lantern Lighting Ceremony

National Conference of State Societies

Japanese Stone Lantern Lighting Ceremony

Presented by the National Park Service & National Conference of State Societies

Join NCSS and the National Park Service for the traditional lighting of the Japanese Stone Lantern, located amidst the cherry blossom trees. Lantern is approximately 375 years old and weighs over 4,000 pounds and given as a gift by Japan in 1954.

Musical Prelude starts at 2:30 PM with ceremony beginning at 3 PM until 4:30 PM. This ceremony marks the first public appearance of the 2024 U.S. Cherry Blossom Princesses.

The Japanese Stone Lantern was presented in 1954 to Washington, D.C. as a gift to commemorate the 100th anniversary of America’s first treaty with Japan. It is lit only once a year, and by the Cherry Blossom Princess representing Japan. Standing 8.5 feet tall and weighing approximately 4,000 pounds, it was carved nearly four centuries ago to honor the Third Shogun of the Tokugawa period. It stands 50 feet east of the first two cherry blossom trees planted by First Lady Helen Taft and Viscountess Chinda (wife of the Japanese ambassador) in 1912, and it is on the National Register of Historic Places.

Will be cancelled if inclement weather. There is no rain date

VISIT WEBSITE

YOUR FESTIVAL EXPERIENCE

What began with a gift in 1912 at the Tidal Basin is now a four-week extravaganza spanning Washington, DC, and neighboring communities in Maryland and Virginia. From exciting events to convenient hotels, delectable Cherry Picks restaurants, vibrant Art in Bloom installations, and a jaw-dropping City in Bloom to joyful Petal Porches, see the Washington, DC area, as you can only see it once a year!

Explore the Festival's Roots

Travel to Japan is open once again, and we invite you experience and explore Japan firsthand. Learn more about the Festival partners who would love to help you plan your trip!

TRAVEL TO JAPAN

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Art Blooms at Mosaic

Let's Go!
4/6 - 4/7

Sakura Matsuri

Let's Go!
4/13 - 4/14

Kenny Endo Contemporary Taiko, 45th Anniversary Tour: Breaking Through Tradition to Innovation

Kenny Endo Contemporary Taiko

Breaking Through Tradition to Innovation

Represented by Pasifika Artists Network

World-class artist Kenny Endo celebrates 45 years in taiko, his adventurous spirit at the vanguard of the genre. As a jazz percussionist and early innovator in Japanese taiko, he was the first non-Japanese national honored with a natori (stage name & master’s license) in classical Japanese drumming. With roots firmly grounded in tradition, he takes taiko in new directions by incorporating influences like funk, jazz, Afro-Cuban & Hawaiian, as he leads his ensemble –drums, vibes, ‘ukulele, flute, strings (koto, shamisen) — in performances that are nuanced, evocative, brilliant!

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MAP YOUR FESTIVAL EXPERIENCE

What began with a gift in 1912 at the Tidal Basin is now a four-week extravaganza spanning Washington, DC, and neighboring communities in Maryland and Virginia. Click the filters on our interactive map to see all that the Festival has to offer and craft a tailored experience as you Rediscover Spring. From exciting events to convenient hotels, delectable Cherry Picks restaurants to vibrant Art in Bloom installations, and a jaw-dropping City in Bloom to joyful Petal Porches, see the Washington, DC area as you can only see it once a year!

MAP THE BLOSSOMS

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Anacostia River Festival

Let's Go!
4/10

Japanese Jazz Series


Let's Go!
4/4 - 4/6

Kimono for Kids

The George Washington University Museum and The Textile Museum

Kimono for Kids

Staff and docents of the George Washington University Museum and The Textile Museum will lead an interactive discussion of Japanese traditional clothing, plus a simple craft project made from materials found at home and inspired by Japanese textiles.

REGISTER at https://secure2.convio.net/gwu/site/Calendar?id=117694&view=Detail

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Minyo Blooms in Washington D.C // MINYO CRUSADERS Special Performance

The Japan Foundation, New York

Minyo Blooms in Washington D.C // MINYO CRUSADERS Special Performance

Join us at the National Harbor on (Sat) 3/19 4:00 – 5:00 pm (ET) for a special performance featuring MINYO CRUSADERS.

MINYO CRUSADERS is a 10-piece band known for their unique fusion of Japanese traditional folk songs called minyo, with various rhythms and beats inspired from Caribbean, Latin, and African music.

The concert will feature performances by MINYO CRUSADERS, along with explanations of minyo, and Japanese folk dancing. Attendees are welcome to join MINYO CRUSADERS for a special dance at the end of the concert once the choreography has been taught.

This performance is organized by The Japan Foundation New York in collaboration with the Embassy of Japan in the United States of America with The National Harbor.

MAP YOUR FESTIVAL EXPERIENCE

What began with a gift in 1912 at the Tidal Basin is now a four-week extravaganza spanning Washington, DC, and neighboring communities in Maryland and Virginia. Click the filters on our interactive map to see all that the Festival has to offer and craft a tailored experience as you Rediscover Spring. From exciting events to convenient hotels, delectable Cherry Picks restaurants to vibrant Art in Bloom installations, and a jaw-dropping City in Bloom to joyful Petal Porches, see the Washington, DC area as you can only see it once a year!

MAP THE BLOSSOMS

Check out our other events

Cherry Blossom Jubilee

Let's Go!
4/10

Pink Tie Dinner Party


Let's Go!
4/28

Music That Renews: American Roots

NATIONAL PHILHARMONIC

MUSIC THAT RENEWS: AMERICAN ROOTS

Music That Renews: American Roots, led by NatPhil’s own concertmaster Laura Colgate alongside NatPhil chamber players, welcomes the arrival of Spring and the cherry blossoms with music by American composers Valerie Coleman, Florence Price, Samuel Barber, Amy Beach, Jerod Tate, and George Gershwin.

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NAOTARO MORIYAMA 20th Anniversary Tour “What a Wonderful World”

The Japan Foundation

NAOTARO MORIYAMA 20th Anniversary Tour “What a Wonderful World”

With the album “Wonderful World” commemorating the 20th anniversary of his debut in Japan, folk singer Naotaro Moriyama has been embarking on his first nationwide anniversary tour. Since June 2022, he has performed 101 concerts in a duration of a year and four months, kicking off his tour at Live House Mandara in Kichijoji, a place that holds fond memories from his indie days, earlier in his career. 

The 102nd stop on the tour, his first performance at Ryogoku Kokugikan was announced as the extra leg of the tour. The 103rd stop on the tour will be a performance in Washington, D.C., U.S.A. 

He will be performing “Sakura (solo)” with pianist Daisuke Sakurai and the National Children’s Chorus. 

This event is co-organized with Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art.

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PLAN YOUR FESTIVAL EXPERIENCE

What began with a gift in 1912 at the Tidal Basin is now a four-week extravaganza spanning Washington, DC, and neighboring communities in Maryland and Virginia. From exciting events to convenient hotels, delectable Cherry Picks restaurants to, vibrant Art in Bloom installations, and a jaw-dropping City in Bloom to joyful Petal Porches, see the Washington, DC area as you can only see it once a year!

Check out our other events

Pink Tie Party

Let's Go!
3/15

National Cherry Blossom Festival Parade presented by Events DC

Let's Go!
4/13

NCSS United States & Territories Celebration Gala and Crowning of 2024 U.S. Cherry Blossom Queen

National Conference of State Societies

United States & Territories Celebration Gala and Crowing of 2024 U.S. Cherry Blossom Queen

The NCSS United States & Territories Celebration Gala is the signature event of the NCSS Princess Program, which celebrates the 2023 U.S. Cherry Blossom Queen and the 2024 U.S. Cherry Blossom Princesses and crowns the 2024 U.S. Cherry Blossom Queen.

Join us in celebrating this monumental event at the Capital Hilton starting at 6:30 PM, with music, dancing, and exciting food stations, including fresh sushi prepared by the Sushi Chefs of Washington DC. The exciting program includes the introduction of the 2024 Cherry Blossom Princesses and the official coronation of the new U.S. Cherry Blossom Queen with the the priceless MIKIMOTO Ceremonial Pearl Crown.

With a fateful spin of the Wheel of Fortune, one Cherry Blossom Princess
will be selected as the new 2024 U.S. Cherry Blossom Queen for the 76th anniversary year of the Cherry Blossom Princess Program. The new Queen will be crowned with the Ceremonial MIKIMOTO Cherry Blossom crown, a priceless Japanese work of art, gifted to the United States in 1957. The new U.S. Cherry Blossom Queen is gifted a smaller keepsake MIKIMOTO crown and an exquisite MIKIMOTO pearl necklace, to wear throughout her reign. As the new U.S. Cherry Blossom Queen, she will serve as a cultural ambassador for the United States, with the opportunity to travel to Japan to engage with top government, business, and cultural leaders.

VIST WEBSITE

YOUR FESTIVAL EXPERIENCE

What began with a gift in 1912 at the Tidal Basin is now a four-week extravaganza spanning Washington, DC, and neighboring communities in Maryland and Virginia. From exciting events to convenient hotels, delectable Cherry Picks restaurants, vibrant Art in Bloom installations, and a jaw-dropping City in Bloom to joyful Petal Porches, see the Washington, DC area as you can only see it once a year!

Explore the Festival's Roots

Travel to Japan is open once again, and we invite you experience and explore Japan firsthand. Learn more about the Festival partners who would love to help you plan your trip!

TRAVEL TO JAPAN

Check out our other events

Petalpalooza presented by Chase

Let's Go!
4/6

Sakura Matsuri- Japanese Street Festival

Let's Go!
4/13 - 4/14

Online Museum Tours: Cherry Blossom

Smithsonian's National Museum of Asian Art

Online Museum Tours: Cherry Blossom

The revered sakura, or cherry blossom, has been celebrated in landscapes, figure paintings, and prints by artists from medieval Japan to Katsushika Hokusai and beyond. Long after the cherry blossoms fall in Washington, DC, you are invited to embrace hanami, the traditional Japanese custom of “flower viewing,” by going cherry blossom viewing in the museum’s Japanese art collections!

Schedule a free online tour for your group of ten or more adults. These live, interactive tours feature high-resolution images of artworks and provide virtual visitors an opportunity to engage in conversation with the museum’s docents. To schedule your adult group, please use the online reservation form. All online tours must be scheduled at least four weeks in advance.

Book Cherry Blossom Online Tours for Adults now by clicking below:

ONLINE TOUR FOR ADULTS

Cherry Blossom Online Tours for pre-K-8 Students is now available from March 14 to April 29, 2022. Book now by clicking below:

ONLINE TOUR FOR PRE-K-8 STUDENTS

What is it about cherry trees, or sakura, that makes them so beloved? During this virtual field trip, students will explore hanami, the traditional Japanese custom of “flower viewing.” Through paintings, woodblock prints, and other art forms, students will discover Japanese symbols, values, and traditions associated with blooming cherry trees. Students may write poetry; learn Japanese characters; or “jump into” a work of art and imagine what they might hear, feel, see, and smell.

The museum offers reserved live, interactive online learning programs led by docents on a daily basis, except for Wednesdays and federal holidays. All programs are subject to scheduling availability. Programs can be customized to last from twenty minutes to one hour and will be hosted live in an encrypted, password-secure meeting on the Zoom platform.

MAP YOUR FESTIVAL EXPERIENCE

What began with a gift in 1912 at the Tidal Basin is now a four-week extravaganza spanning Washington, DC, and neighboring communities in Maryland and Virginia. Click the filters on our interactive map to see all that the Festival has to offer and craft a tailored experience as you Rediscover Spring. From exciting events to convenient hotels, delectable Cherry Picks restaurants to vibrant Art in Bloom installations, and a jaw-dropping City in Bloom to joyful Petal Porches, see the Washington, DC area as you can only see it once a year!

MAP THE BLOSSOMS

Check out our other events

What Makes a Good Karaoke Song?

Let's Go!
3/21

Southwest Chamber Players Gala 25th Anniversary Concerts

Let's Go!
4/1 - 4/3

Performance: Crossroads of Japanese Music

Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art

Performance: Crossroads of Japanese Music

Japanese koto virtuoso and composer Yumi Kurosawa explores a musical perspective on the Japanese and Chinese art in the Freer exhibition, Mind Over Matter: Zen in Medieval Japan. She performs on a modern twenty-string koto and is joined by violinist Emil Israel Chudnovsky and Chinese flute (dizi) virtuoso Yimin Miao. Their program features classical music from Kyoto and China as well as new music composed by Kurosawa for this event.
VISIT WEBSITE

MAP YOUR FESTIVAL EXPERIENCE

What began with a gift in 1912 at the Tidal Basin is now a four-week extravaganza spanning Washington, DC, and neighboring communities in Maryland and Virginia. Click the filters on our interactive map to see all that the Festival has to offer and craft a tailored experience as you Rediscover Spring. From exciting events to convenient hotels, delectable Cherry Picks restaurants to vibrant Art in Bloom installations, and a jaw-dropping City in Bloom to joyful Petal Porches, see the Washington, DC area as you can only see it once a year!

MAP THE BLOSSOMS

Check out our other events

What Makes a Good Karaoke Song?

Let's Go!
3/21

Southwest Chamber Players Gala 25th Anniversary Concerts

Let's Go!
4/1 - 4/3