For Seattle, the arrival of spring carries a history that reaches back half a century. In 1976, 1,000 cherry trees arrived from Japan at a time when the United States was preparing to mark its bicentennial. The gift was presented by Japan’s former prime minister Takeo Miki as a gesture recognising the ties between Japan and Washington state. That same day, people gathered at Seward Park for a small celebration beneath the trees, with traditional music, dancing and picnic lunches on the grass. What began as a modest afternoon gathering would eventually become a major annual festival, linking cherry blossoms with a lasting cultural exchange between Japan and the Pacific Northwest.
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