Supporting 50th Sakura Matsuri Japanese Street Festival

The biggest event and the highlight of the National Cherry Blossom Festival turns silver this year, bigger and better than ever-so join me downtown for the 50th Annual Sakura Matsuri Japanese Street Festival!

From sushi to origami, from sumo to sake. Japanese arts and crafts and products of all kinds-anime, manga and J-POP music. Traditional dances and dramatic taiko drums. If it’s Japanese, it’s at our Festival! The Japan-America Society of Washington, D.C. presents the nation’s largest Japanese street festival, stretching for six blocks through downtown DC! The Sakura Matsuri is a free, family-friendly festival. There are over 15 vendors of Japanese food, two beer gardens, 30 exhibitors of Japanese arts and culture, 15 vendors of Japanese products, and over 30 hours of live performances on five stages, including traditional and popular Japanese music and dance and martial arts demonstrations. There’s something for everyone at the Sakura Matsuri!

More information about performances, performers and schedules will be announced closer to the event date. Admission to the festival and events are free except for the beer gardens-those require a separate fee and obviously you have to be 21 to enter those areas. But bring plenty of money because, if you're like me, you're probably going to buy quite a bit of merchandise! The Festival is easily accessible via Metro-Federal Triangle will put you right next to the Festival, while Metro Center is about a block away for those coming via the Red Line.