Library of Congress Family Day Program Celebrates the National Cherry Blossom Festival
The Library of Congress will host its annual Japanese Culture Day in celebration of the 2025 National Cherry Blossom Festival, an annual commemoration of Japan’s 1912 gift of 3,020 cherry trees to the U.S.
Japanese Culture Day will be held at the Library’s Thomas Jefferson Building on Saturday, April 5, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The program features family activities, Japanese musical instrument demonstrations, storytelling, and arts and crafts.
The event is free and open to the public as part of the Library’s Family Day series. Get your tickets here. Please note that tickets become available 30 days in advance of an event date.
Families, children, educators, and visitors of all ages can learn about Japanese culture through reading, writing and craft-making with Japanese cultural and linguistic professionals and other Library staff. Collection items related to cherry blossoms and Japanese culture will also be on display.
Performances include:
• Japanese storytelling at 10:30 a.m. and 1 p.m.
• Japanese musical instrument (Okinawan shamisen) demonstrations by Kyoko Asato at 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.
Activitiesavailable throughout the dayinclude:
• Creating origami artwork.
• Making paper cherry blossoms.
• Tiara making with Cherry Blossom Festival princesses.
• Trying on a kimono.
• Calligraphy.
• Writing a Tanabata wish.
About the National Cherry Blossom Festival
The National Cherry Blossom Festival is one of the world’s great celebrations of spring. The 2025 Festival takes place March 20 - April 13 and includes four weeks of events featuring diverse and creative programming promoting traditional and contemporary arts and culture, natural beauty, and community spirit. Leadership Circle Sponsors for the 2025 National Cherry Blossom Festival are Events DC, Amazon, and All Nippon Airways (ANA). Mark your calendars! Save the dates for the 2025 Festival signature events. Visit NationalCherryBlossomFestival.org or call 877.44.BLOOM for more information. Get the latest updates via email and follow the Festival on social media! Facebook (@CherryBlossomFestival), Instagram (@CherryBlossFest), Twitter (@CherryBlossFest) and YouTube (@CherryBlossFest). View all events on the website.
About the Library
The Library of Congress is the world’s largest library, offering access to the creative record of the United States — and extensive materials from around the world — both on-site and online. It is the main research arm of the U.S. Congress and the home of the U.S. Copyright Office. Explore collections, reference services and other programs and plan a visit at loc.gov; access the official site for U.S. federal legislative information at congress.gov; and register creative works of authorship at copyright.gov.
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Media Contact: María Peña, mpena@loc.gov
Public Contact: Mari Nakahara, mnak@loc.gov
PR 25-012
02/18/25
ISSN 0731-3527