Japan gifts US cherry trees
Japan is gifting the U.S. 250 new cherry trees for the National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington, D.C. Cherry blossom guide: Everything you need to know about 2026 cherry blossom season | wusa9.com — a nod to the original planting in 1912 for the U.S.'s 250th anniversary. Besides D.C., where else can I catch peak blooms in the US?
The gifted cherry trees commemorate the U.S.'s 250th anniversary of independence. Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi announced the gift after meeting with President Trump, framing it as a cultural gesture and a sign of closer ties between the two countries. Fireworks from Japan's Akita Prefecture will also be part of the Fourth of July celebrations in Washington next year. The tradition of gifting cherry trees began in 1912 when Tokyo's Mayor Yukio Ozaki supported the donation of 3,000 trees to Washington D.C.. First Lady Helen Herron Taft agreed to accept the trees. These original trees were intended to symbolize friendship between the two nations. The first shipment of 2,000 trees in 1909 was destroyed due to insect infestation, leading to the Plant Quarantine Act of 1912. A second shipment was sent after fumigation. In 1965, Japan gifted 3,800 Yoshino trees, many of which were planted on the grounds of the Washington Monument.
