Standing on the corner of 12th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue surrounded by samurai swords, elegant kimonos, the beat of Japanese music and the smell of grilled Japanese teriyaki chicken, I had to remind myself I was in America's capital, not Tokyo. April 10, Washington, D.C. hosted the 50th annual Sakura Matsuri Japanese Street Festival hosted by the Japan-America Society of the district, an exhibition of Japanese culture to conclude the National Cherry Blossom Festival.
On an average day with good weather, the annual National Cherry Blossom Festival - a two-week celebratory springtime event to commemorate the blossoming cherry trees around the Tidal Basin, gifts from Japan that recognize the lasting friendship between the two countries after World War II - has been known to attract more than 140,000 visitors in seven hours. The day that my family and I went, however, was ridden with hot temperatures, creating an uncomfortable environment made only worse by the previous rain's nightfall.
We left early in the afternoon using the subway system. Through the years, it has become a tradition for my family, where in all circumstances, rain or shine, to take a family portrait underneath the falling pink petals.
Unfortunately, the rainfall had stripped the trees of their flowers. My brother pointed at the single blossoming tree blocks away, suggesting we take pictures to commemorate what was left of the festival. Not surprisingly, other tourists had noticed that very same tree, and we found ourselves battling with tourists brandishing their cameras, seeking to capture the only signs of spring.
After taking our pictures at the Tidal Basin - one of the city's most noteworthy landmarks, particularly when studded with cherry blossom trees - we hopped on a subway train toward Federal Triangle, the location of the Sakura Matsuri Street Festival, the final major event of the cherry blossom festival. And once off the rail, I was immediately absorbed into Japanese culture. To my left, a kendo martial arts group was performing. To my right, women were strolling by with elaborately-decorated, Sakura floral parasols in hand.
The street festival extended for about a mile and was divided into six different areas called the Taste of Japan, The Ginza marketplace, J-Pop Land, performing arts, Japanese Martial Arts and Japanese arts and culture exhibitions .
After working up an appetite by walking around, my family went to the Taste of Japan sector, which was filled with a seemingly endless line of hungry tourists waiting for more than 15 vendors selling teriyaki chicken on sticks, Japanese oden and soba, to name a few.
Later, I browsed Ginza Marketplace which sold traditional Japanese products ranging from origami trinkets, Japanese doll figurines, traditional kimono and Bonsai trees. A kimono attire shop allowed tourists to try on several intricate kimonos - traditional Japanese garments - in exchange for a small donation. Some other tourists came with their own costume attire, decked out as as Japanese anime and manga characters. It was interesting to see this bridge of past and present cultures at the market.
As the end of the day approached, my family and I visited the Japanese Arts and Culture exhibition to conclude our day at the street festival. Here, I met and received signatures from former Japanese military veterans who served during World War II and observed an intense competition between two tourists playing "Go" - an ancient Japanese logic board game played on a tatami mat.
Finally catching one last subway train back home, I reflected on the day, in awe of efforts by Japanese-Americans to preserve and spread cultural awareness in the United States, and I could not help but smile at the extent to which Japanese culture captivated tourists at the Sakura Matsuri Festival.
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