Seattle Cherry Blossom and Japanese Cultural Festival

Invite your family and friends and explore the experience of the cultural roots and contemporary influences of Japan through live performances, visual arts, hands-on activities, foods and games. This year’s feast for the senses features Taiko drumming, artisan demonstrations, and a theatrical stage production, Otokichi about the first Japanese shipwreck survivors on US (Washington state) soil.

Each year the Seattle Center hosts a weekend-long celebration of Japanese and Japanese-American culture. This year’s theme is about American and Japanese milestones in history with the Theme: Passages in Time 2 : Then – Now. 

The Seattle Cherry Blossom Festival was founded 39 Years ago in appreciation of 1,000 cherry trees gifted to Seattle by Prime Minister Takeo Miki on behalf of the Japanese government in commemoration of the nation’s bicentennial. It is the first ethnic festival to be held at Seattle Center annually and the oldest in the Seattle Center Festál series.