Tokyo skyline at sunset
Mrs . Eliza Scidmore had a passion , and her passion was for Cherry Blossoms . It was an addiction that she had fallen prey to after a visit to Japan , and she brought this passion back to her home in Washington D . C . The first Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington D . C . was held in 1934 , thanks to tireless ‘ behind the scenes ’ work by Mrs . Scidmore . ( Incidentally , she was the first woman board member of the National Geographic Society .)
Her passion was continued by First Lady Helen Herron Taft . In 1910 , the First Lady accepted an offer of 2000 trees from Japan through the Embassy of Japan in Washington , D . C .
Though these trees were not healthy and had to be destroyed , the desire to continue planting cherry trees continued . Another 3020 trees were given , and in 1912 First Lady Taft and Viscountess Chinda — the wife of the Japanese ambassador — planted the first two of these trees on the north bank in West Potomac Park , around the Tidal Basin . Nowadays , the Festival lasts four weeks , so visitors and residents can enjoy the beauty of our cherry trees .
A trip to Japan will take you where cherry blossoms are ubiquitous . To take part in the cherry blossom season , you will want to see
Japan in the early and late spring , before the rainy season — ideally visit during the last weeks of March and early April . The cherry trees are in full bloom at this time , as are the associated Cherry Blossom festivals .
In Japan , April is the beginning of the New Year . There , as here in the United States , spring is the beginning of new crops , longer days , warming weather , and a general elevation of the public mood . April is the time to discover Japan ’ s enchanting springtime beauty . Pink cherry blossoms bedeck all the cities and towns , as well as the countryside villages . The word Hanami ( flower viewing )
FLYWASHINGTON . COM 30 SPRING 2017