April 8th, 2018
What is the Cherry Blossom Festival?
Does it involve music and dance? Drinking? Lots of tomatoes? Or colors? Yes, probably it involves some of those elements but mostly it’s a celebration of natural beauty.
Do you agree that this looks beautiful? Take a few moments.
The festival commemorates the March 27, 1912, gift of Japanese cherry trees from Mayor Yukio Ozaki of Tokyo City to the city of Washington, D.C.
This being my first spring season in the country and the fact that I live so close to D.C., this trip was on my bucket-list for some time. Plans were made and delayed but eventually, I ended up accompanying my new housemate Jianfeng to DC last Sunday. We started our trip from the L’ Enfant Plaza Metro station.
A detour to the Enid A. Haupt Garden (That’s Jianfeng)
We embarked on our long walk, passing the Washington Monument on the way, and a full tour around the Tidal Basin.
Well, he was very eager to take this perspective shot. Lots of trial and error paid off.
Edge of the Tidal Basin
We got some amazing shots that day.
The Green, The Pink and The Bare. All in harmony.
Jefferson Memorial (as seen from the other end of the Tidal Basin)
After the stroll along the banks of the basin, we ended up inside the Jefferson Memorial.
More than 700,000 people visit Washington each year to admire the blossoming cherry trees that herald the beginning of spring in the nation’s capital. (Source: Wikipedia)
We still had some time on our hands and also some energy left inside us. So, we decided to explore more. We were hungry and decided to try something from the array of food trucks which line up just in front of the Washington Monument (foodies please don’t miss them!). After some rest, we were on our way towards the White House.
The “House of Cards” feeling.
The White House
One interesting thing to notice was that there were a few demonstrators outside who were just sitting there with banners describing their pleas. “Free Tibet”, “Gun law discussions” were a few among their agendas.
More flowers to make you feel happy. 😀
Sources say Mayor Ozaki donated the trees to enhance the growing friendship between the United States and Japan and also celebrate the continued close relationship between the two nations. Also, on December 11, 1941, four trees were cut down. It is suspected that this was retaliation for the attack on Pearl Harbor by the Empire of Japan four days earlier, though this was never confirmed. In hopes of dissuading people from further attacks upon the trees during the war, they were referred to as “Oriental” flowering cherry trees for the war’s duration. Suspended during World War II, the festival resumed in 1947 with the support of the Washington, D.C., Board of Trade and the D.C. Commissioners. In 1952, Japan requested help restoring the cherry tree grove at Adachi, Tokyo along the Arakawa River, which was the parent stock of the D.C. trees but had diminished during the war. In response, the National Park Service sent budwood back to Tokyo. If these are the facts, it’s quite amazing that relations between them continued to be friendly considering the events of World War II and the effect it had on the citizens of USA and Japan.
The White House was our last stop as both of us were quite tired. We returned home. The sudden trip turned out to be a rewarding experience.
Ajinkya Tejankar
Loved the Capitol Hill pic! Keep posting.
Aniruddha Saha
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