Sakura, the opening of the cherry blossoms in the spring, has long been celebrated in Japan. Starting with the initial gift of cherry trees in 1912 and continuing to the present, the cherry trees have also become a symbol of friendship between Japan and the U.S. For those interested in the details of this history see: History of the Cherry Trees – Cherry Blossom Festival (U.S. National Park Service) 

FFNCA also has forged friendships with Japanese friends through Journeys:

• In 1989 we hosted the club from Shisuoka/Niigata.
• In 1999 our club visited Kumamoto.
• In 2008 our club visited Tottori.

So the Cherry Blossom festival is an opportunity to celebrate those friendships and learn more about Japanese Culture in the National Capital Area. In Celebration of this friendship, our FFNCA website will be featuring Japan for the month of April.