This first consignment was infested with insects and was burnt up completely. In 1910, as a symbol of lasting friendship between United States of America and Japan, the then Mayor of Tokyo Yukio Ozaki gifted a set of 2000 Yoshino cherry trees to President William Howard Taft. Brief History of the Cherry Blossoms of Washington DC If you’d like to know more about the main types of cherry trees, read this article I’ve penned down right here about the various cherry tree varieties. Sakura blooms come in more than 200 varieties of which the palest and most popular blooms are the Yoshino variety. In Washington DC alone, there are over 3000 cherry trees! You can see that these pretty flower bushes adorn many paintings, coins and clothing native to Japan. Pic Courtesy: Arno Smit What You Need To Know About Cherry BlossomsĬherry blossoms or the “Sakura” in Japanese is the national flower of Japan. Sackler Gallery and the Freer Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.Welcoming spring into the year are these beautiful gushes of pink cherry blossoms blooming at the heart of America – in Washington DC! And here’s my complete guide to viewing these pretty blooms, beginning with cherry blossom basics to its history with the nation’s capital to the National Cherry Blossom Festival to photography tips and more – Almost all you could ever need to explore the cherry trees of DC.

Kaplan is museum writer, and Julian Raby is Dame Jillian Sackler Director of the Arthur M. Ulak is senior curator of Japanese art, Howard S. Sackler Gallery, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C.

In association with the Freer Gallery of Art and the Arthur M. Ulak explores this flowering tree’s timeless appeal and deep-rooted symbolism. Text by the Freer|Sackler’s senior curator of Japanese art James T. Today, we celebrate cherry blossom festivals across the United States and the world and see our cities framed by blossoming branches that herald spring. In 1912, Japan gifted more than 3,000 of these trees to Washington, D.C., as a symbol of friendship between nations. The flowers feature prominently in Japanese art magnificent renderings by masters-including Hiroshige and Hokusai-show serene blossoms among tall evergreens, at the epicenter of national celebrations, or as surreal showers of petals.

Since the eighteenth century, parties in Japan, from royal maidens to farmers, have gathered to view cherry trees, an essential symbol of the cycle of life. Sackler Gallery, the Smithsonian's museums of Asian art, these rare reproductions of gilded screens, woodblock prints, and ink on silk works offer sublimely rendered buds and blooms for all who cherish them. Drawn from the Freer Gallery of Art and the Arthur M. A jewel-like collection of the most exquisite cherry blossoms in Japanese art celebrates the enduring power of spring.

Cherry Blossoms by James T. Ulak