The beat of taiko drums and the aroma of traditional Japanese foods greeted festivalgoers at the 57th annual Northern California Cherry Blossom Festival. Despite the rainy weather and overcast skies on the festival’s opening day, thousands of people still attended, excited for the day ahead. 

“I’ve been participating in the Cherry Blossom Festival for as long as I can remember. I was part of the food booths, I participated in their activities, and now, I’ve helped organize it. All my life, I’ve been a part of Japantown’s Cherry Blossom Festival,” said Kiyomi Takeda, a festival advisor and former festival co-chair.

With hundreds of thousands of attendees every year, the Northern California Cherry Blossom Festival is one of the largest cherry blossom celebrations outside of Japan. The festival dates back to 1968 and has significantly grown in popularity since then.

“It’s nice that we’re getting the attention that Japantown needs, and the festival also helps our businesses here thrive and continue to grow. It feels great to see our festival bloom,” Takeda said.

The 57th annual festival was held on the weekends of April 13 and April 21, and it included Japanese cultural performances, arts, live music, and the Queen Program, which promotes leadership by selecting a group of women and a “queen” each year to represent the Northern California Japanese American community as cultural ambassadors.

Vendors sold traditional Japanese products and foods, and the event concluded with a Grand Parade. All were welcome to attend.

“One thing that’s truly special about our festival is that it’s 100% volunteer-run and organized. We have thousands of volunteers that come out every year, and as challenging as it is with rising costs, we still make it happen because the community is so important to us,” Takeda said. “The festival is truly for the community by the community.”

Ed Concepcion, a women’s resort wear designer who was invited to sell his designs at the festival, sold modernized kimonos and obi belts at his booth. 

“Traditional Japanese clothing can be reinvented so that you can wear it for any casual event, from a dinner party or a night out with your friends, and that’s what I aim to do with my designs,” Concepcion said.

Aside from sharing his designs, Concepcion said he was eager to explore the other booths and try the foods offered at the event.

“I’m most looking forward to experiencing traditional Japanese culture at the festival. I don’t have much exposure to it where I live, so I’m excited to try out all the activities today,” Concepcion said.

Festival goers shared Concepcion’s sentiments; the wide variety of activities was appreciated and ensured everyone was entertained.

“It’s my first time here, and I’m enjoying it so far. I like all the different food, the performances were great, and I even saw kids dressed up as the food they were selling to advertise their food stall,” said Callie Belback, a festival attendee.

Belback had spent her childhood years living in Chicago. Now, she is a 24-year-old living in Burlingame, California, and has grown to like the strong cultural ties in the Bay Area.

“California is definitely not the same as Chicago. The Bay Area is very singular in how there are so many Asians, and it’s nice to feel like you’re part of a larger community. I’m Chinese, and seeing Asian cultural festivals like the Cherry Blossom Festival makes me feel more at home,” Belback said.

Like Belback, not all festivalgoers hailed from Japanese backgrounds. Some attendees came to explore a new culture, while others may have attended because they wanted something unique and fun to do on a weekend. 

“It’s so important to expand our horizons because there’s so much beauty in every culture and tradition. Different things give us a different perspective and appreciation, and the more we can feel connected with others, the more we can be better as a society,” Takeda said.

Regardless of the reason, the 57th annual Northern Cherry Blossom Festival brought hundreds of thousands of people together to honor a rich cultural heritage.

Writing by Arianna Zhu

Photo by Elaine Jiang