San Diego's Cherry Blossom Festival: 20 Years of Celebrating Japanese Culture

Credit: Balboa Park

This past weekend, San Diego’s Japanese Friendship Garden, located in Balboa Park, hosted its 20th Annual Cherry Blossom Festival. From March 13 to 16, cherry blossoms were not the only site to be seen, with festivities of all kinds celebrated there. Each of the days held something different to explore, from food, performances, goods to purchase, or cultural celebrations. 

One huge influence on the yearly Cherry Blossom Festival is its emphasis on showcasing and highlighting Japanese culture, something that is very much alive in our San Diego. Kamishibai was one of the wonderful performances you could witness on all days of the celebration, which is a form of Japanese “paper” theater. It involves storytelling through large colorful paper pieces and a narrator who directs the entire tale. But the entertainment didn’t stop there, with more wonderful performances from Geisha opera singers, San Diego dojos, and more!

Additionally, the Cherry Blossom Festival also held a community art exhibit where artists of all ages could potentially submit their work and have it showcased at the festival. Their work was encouraged to be inspired by the cherry blossom trees in the garden itself. 

On the last day of the festival, they held a special “Kanpai” sake tasting. Sake is also known as Japanese rice wine, and is an alcoholic beverage of Japanese origin that is made by fermenting rice. People of all ages could come learn about the history of sake from Sake Sommelier, Amadeus Segura, and taste 3 premium sake selections from HeavenSake.

While the festivities are over, the cherry blossoms at the Japanese Friendship Garden are still in full bloom and ready for visitors! Visit the Japanese Friendship Garden at Balboa Park all throughout March and to the beginning of April to be able to witness such beautiful blooms. Make sure to mark your calendars for next year's festivities!