What's to See and Do

The Sakura Matsuri - Japanese Street Festival is the largest one-day exhibition of Japanese culture in the United States.

Japanese food and beer, sake, music and dance, arts and crafts, anime and manga, taiko drums, samurai swordsmen, ikebana and bonsai, karate, judo, sumo, aikido, sudoku. No matter what, if it’s Japanese, it’s at the Sakura Matsuri.

Now in its 50th year, Sakura Matsuri stretches for six square blocks through downtown DC. It takes place on Saturday, April 10, 2010 from 11:00 am to 6:00 pm, right after the Parade of the National Cherry Blossom Festival.

Sponsored by the Japan-America Society of Washington DC, Sakura Matsuri is centered at 12th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW, with easy access from the Metro Federal Triangle stop and Metro Center.

“Last year the Matsuri drew over 160,000 visitors,” said Ambassador John R. Malott, President of the Japan-America Society of Washington DC. “That’s because it’s fun, it’s free, and it’s family-friendly. The parade and the Sakura Matsuri make a great double-header, and they’re a fantastic way to spend the day.”

Sakura Matsuri has over 30 hours of live performances on five stages. Reiko Hirai of Happi Enterprises, Sakura Matsuri’s Creative Director, is bringing more Japanese performers than ever to the Street Festival. “We have five groups coming in from Japan, and an entire bus-load of Japanese performers from New York City,” Ms Hirai said. “The taiko and dance group from Tamagawa University in Tokyo is back, and we have our great local performers, too.”

The Ginza Marketplace sells traditional Japanese products, and J-Pop Land has products and activities that celebrate Japan’s modern, youthful culture, from pop music to anime and fashion. Four Matsuri Markets sell a wide variety of soft drinks from Coca-Cola, as well as Ito-en Tea, Honest Tea, and Japanese snacks.

The Children’s Corner has doubled in size this year to 1,600 square feet. It’s an interactive hands-on area where volunteers from the JET Alumni Association introduce a variety of traditional Japanese activities, from origami (Japanese paper-folding) to Japanese games, language, and story-telling.