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Nothing officially welcomes spring more than the much-awaited 55th annual Northern California Cherry Blossom Festival, the largest on the west coast put on by San Francisco's own Japantown. Kicking off this Saturday April 9th, this yearly tradition invites everyone far and wide for two weeks of live events, performances, and traditional ceremonies celebrating both Japanese and Japanese American culture and relations.
Returning in person this year, the free festival has been a landmark holiday in the city since 1968, inviting well over 200,000 people every year to immerse themselves with heritage around Japantown district's many activities and businesses. Just a few years back the festival celebrated their 50th anniversary. While there is no grand parade typical every year, the 2022 festival will still be occuring over two weekends on April 9-10 and April 16 - 17.
Here are all the fun festivities to look forward to.
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"栄える," or Sakaeru, is this year's theme for the festival, meaning to flourish or bounce back. ”Springing Forward” is also the tagline for this year, using a frog as the mascot to visually represent both the festival and community's forward leap into revitalizing.
This year is sure to embody this growth, as there will be vibrant performances and plenty of delicious food beginning at 11:30 a.m. on Post Street between Laguna and Fillmore Streets.
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The San Francisco Taiko Dojo is the first to display their talent with commanding drums. These taiko drums were first histortically used to dispell evil spirits from harming crops. Now the powerful instrument delights enthusiasts and spectators all over the world.
Following the drums is the Opening Ceremony at 12:30 p.m., which is a must-see.
There will then be a remembrance for George Yamasaki Jr. at 1:10 p.m., followed by martial-arts showcases from Naginata Federation and Tendo Ryu Naginata. There will be Kendama and Karaoke available for Saturday.
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Sunday April 10th will feature intrroductions from the 2022 Queen at 1 p.m., and there will be more Karate and an Anime Cosplay Showcase that's sure to enthrall. Other must-sees are highly talented musical acts from Ko Ishikawa at 3:30 p.m., and folk groups Sakura Minyo Doo Koo Kai and Ensohza Minyoshu + Joshua Tree. They all utilize traditional native instruments that are as unique as they are melodic.
See a full breakdown of every day's itineraries, including next weekend's here.
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Food and drink are highly recommended to indulge in here too, as there will be a wide selection of culinary classics like tempura, sushi, and to wash it all down, traditional tea. "Chanoyu" is the name of the traditional tea ceremony, which you can watch the preparation and learn more about its significance.
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For transportation, The Festival recommends parking at the Japan Center Garage if you are planning to drive in.
For rideshares like taxis, Ubers, or Lyfts, it is best to be dropped off at the designated areas at the intersection of Webster Street and Geary Blvd.
For all other public transportation, getting off of BART, Caltrain, and Muni will lead you to the 38-Geary bus. Their comprehensive website is thoroughly details your trip from every direction.
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The festival is entirely volunteer run, and although there will not be a parade this year, there will still be two weekends full of engaging cultural activities!
Photography by: AJ/Unsplash
