59th Northern California Cherry Blossom Festival First Weekend

On Saturday and Sunday, April 11 and 12, the first weekend of the 59^th Northern California Cherry Blossom Festival was held in San Francisco Japantown. Consul General Kotaro Otsuki spoke at the opening ceremony on April 11, expressing his appreciation for the festival organizers for the longevity and scope of the festival, and encouraging attendees to make the most of this opportunity to celebrate Japanese culture and the Japan-California relationship. Festival Co-Chairs Mr. Matthew Nagatomi and Ms. Yuki Nishimura, San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie and District 5 Supervisor Bilal Mahmood; Community Marshalls Roy and PJ Hirabayashi and Mr. Steven Nakajo and other community leaders also spoke in the ceremony. After remarks all speakers participated in a Kagami Biraki ceremony to celebrate the opening of the festival.
 
Consulate staff also held an information booth on the first evening, offering a Japanese language activity and sharing information with visitors on visiting Japan, the Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Program, and studying in Japan.
 
The Northern California Cherry Blossom Festival is a two-weekend-long street festival which showcases Japanese cultural performances and a variety of Japan-related booths. The 59th festival continues on Saturday, April 18 and Sunday, April 19, culminating in the Grand Parade on the final day.
 
For more information about the festival, please visit: www.nccbf.org