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