Library of Congress to Celebrate National Cherry Blossom Festival
Explore Japanese Culture with Family Programs at the Library on March 23
The Library of Congress will host its annual Japanese Culture Day in celebration of the 2024 National Cherry Blossom Festival, an annual commemoration of Japan’s 1912 gift to the U.S. of 3,020 cherry trees.
Japanese Culture Day will take place at the Library’s Thomas Jefferson Building on Saturday, March 23, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., featuring family activities, including Japanese drum and traditional dance performances, a book talk with a featured author, storytelling, and arts and crafts from Japan. The event is free and open to the public. Tickets are available at loc.gov/events.
Japanese Culture Day
March 23, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Great Hall Mezzanine unless otherwise specified, Thomas Jefferson Building, 10 First St., SE, Washington, D.C.
Children of all ages, families and teachers can learn about Japanese culture through reading, writing and craft-making with Japanese cultural and linguistic professionals during the Library’s Japanese Culture Day. Collection items related to cherry blossoms and Japanese culture will also be on display.
Featured activities include:
• Japanese Drum Performance by Eissa Club, Okinawa kai of Washington, D.C. Performances will take place at Neptune Plaza or Coolidge Auditorium (in case of rain) at 10:30 a.m. and 1 p.m.
• Japanese Storytelling will take place at 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.
• Japanese Dance Performance by Onoe Ryu Dance Enterprises. Performances will take place at 11:30 a.m. and 2 p.m.
Other activities throughout the day include:
• Hands-on lessons about origami artwork creation.
• Decorative Koinobori and Japanese woodblock print coloring.
• Tiara making with cherry blossom princesses.
• Kimono dress-up trial.
Middle Grade Fantasy with Author Misa Sugiura
In connection with the Japanese Culture Day, Japanese-American author Misa Sugiura will present a book talk about her series “Momo Arashima,” with focus on her research and incorporation of Japanese folklore, mythology, and legends into her middle grade fantasy novel. All ages are welcome; recommended for ages 7 and older.
• Read-alouds with author Sugiura will take place 11:15 a.m. and 1:15 p.m. on the Great Hall Mezzanine.
• Author Program with Sugiura, followed by book signing: 2 p.m. in room LJ-119.
About the National Cherry Blossom Festival
The National Cherry Blossom Festival is one of the world’s great celebrations of spring. The 2024 Festival takes place March 20 - April 14, and includes four weeks of events featuring diverse and creative programming promoting traditional and contemporary arts and culture, natural beauty, and community spirit. 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: Elaina Finkelstein, efinkelstein@loc.gov
Public Contact: Mari Nakahara, mnak@loc.gov
PR 24-018
02/21/2024
ISSN 0731-3527