Friday, April 15, 2011

Friday’s Last Spoonful: Field Trip

National Cherry Blossom Festival

A major festival is held annually with the appearance of bright pink cherry blossoms on numerous cherry trees in Washington, DC. The 3,000 trees are a gift that was given to the nation’s capital from Mayor Yukio Ozaki of Tokyo, Japan in 1912. The festival’s events commemorate the anniversary of the gift and long friendship between Japan and the United States. The First Lady, Helen Herron Taft and the Japanese ambassador’s wife, Vicountess Chinda planted the first two cherry trees on March 27, 1912. The National Cherry Blossom Festival has grown into an annual Japanese Cultural Celebration that includes food vendors, craftsmen, and artisans. A parade and cultural performances are just two of the fun annual events. We sampled shrimp tempura, chicken yakitori, and Japanese Yakisoba.

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