The annual Cherry Blossom Festival has begun in Washington, the capital of the United States, where cherry blossoms were gifted from Japan more than 100 years ago, and many people are enjoying the cherry blossoms in full bloom.
Approximately 3,800 cherry trees were planted in Washington as a gift from the then mayor of Tokyo in 1912, and the National Cherry Blossom Festival is held every year to coincide with the blooming season.
This year, the cherry blossoms reach their peak bloom more than a week earlier than usual, and many people are enjoying themselves by taking photos of the cherry blossoms and having picnics under the trees.
A woman who traveled 15 hours by car from southern Florida said, ``It's unrealistically beautiful, and I've been taking lots of pictures.It was even more beautiful than I had imagined.''
Ambassador Shigeo Yamada, who gave a speech at the opening ceremony of the festival held on the 23rd, introduced that Prime Minister Kishida had received an invitation from President Biden as a state guest on the 10th of next month, and said, ``The long-standing relationship between our two countries There is no better time to celebrate our friendship and to further strengthen our ties in the future."
Also at the ceremony, singer Naotaro Moriyama sang ``Sakura (solo)'' and excited the venue.
The National Cherry Blossom Festival will be held until the middle of next month, and events introducing Japanese culture will be held during the festival.