Here’s some interesting facts about Washington and Vancouver’s interesting Sakura History:

Washington D.C.

Washington DC received its famous cherry blossom trees as a gift of friendship from the people of Japan in 1912, with the first trees planted by First Lady Helen Taft and the Viscountess Chinda.

Here’s a more detailed look at the history:

• The Gift: The cherry trees, or “Sakura” in Japanese, were a gift from Mayor Yukio Ozaki of Tokyo to the city of Washington, D.C., to enhance the growing friendship between the two nations. 
• Initial Planting: The first trees, 2,000 in total, arrived in 1910, but were unfortunately destroyed due to disease and insect infestation. 
• Second Donation: In 1912, another batch of approximately 3,000 trees arrived, and these were planted along the Tidal Basin, marking the start of the beautiful display we see today. 
• First Lady Helen Herron Taft planted the first tree in West Potomac Park 
• The Park Service has a stockpile of trees grown from cuttings of the surviving trees 
• The National Cherry Blossom Festival is a spring celebration in Washington, D.C., commemorating the March 27, 1912, gift of Japanese cherry trees from Mayor Yukio Ozaki of Tokyo City to the city of Washington, D.C. 
• The majority of the cherry blossom trees around the Tidal Basin are of the Yoshino variety 
• But another species, the Kwanzan, usually blooms two weeks after the Yoshino trees, giving visitors a second chance to catch the blossoms 

Vancouver BC:

Vancouver’s iconic cherry blossom trees were gifted to the city by the mayors of Kobe and Yokohama in the 1930s, as a gesture of gratitude for the Japanese Canadians who served in World War I.

• The Gift:In the 1930s, the mayors of Kobe and Yokohama, as a gesture of friendship and in honor of Japanese Canadians who served in World War I, gifted Vancouver with 500 cherry trees. 
• Initial Planting:These trees were planted in Stanley Park, near the cenotaph dedicated to Japanese Canadian veterans. 
• Further Planting:Over time, the city continued to plant more cherry trees, and they became a beloved feature of Vancouver’s landscape. 
• Japanese Consul DonationIn the 1950s, the Japanese consul donated another 300 trees to the city. 
• Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival:The Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival, which celebrates the beauty and joy of these trees, was founded in 2005 to commemorate the gift from Japan. 
• Today:Vancouver now boasts over 40,000 cherry trees, making it a city renowned for its spring blossoms. 

We are very thankful for these gifts and will continue to cherish and honor them here in Vancouver. As will our neighbors in Washington DC.