Arigato Tomodachi

Yayoi  no kotoba

Kyou kiguu nimo US capital de muryou no tsua gaidansu wo ukerukotogadekimasita. Watashi ha DC ga totemo kiniirimashita! Watashi ha amerika ga nihon ni konnnani takusan no sakura wo okutta kotowo shirimasendeshita. Soshite, konoyouna subarasii koukei wo mirukotogadekirutoha, amerika ni kurumae ha omoimo shimasen deshita. sakura ga subarashii monyumento totatemono wo kakonde irunante! Sonna wakede watashi ha tsujo yori mo DC wo tanoshimu kotogadekita nodesu. Chito, arigatou!

Cherry Blossom Festival Opening Ceremony 2011

Letter from Yayoi:

I didn't know that Japan gave so many cherry blossoms to the US. So I had a lot of opportunities to enjoy DC more than adequately. And I'd never imagined to see such a beautiful view -cherry blossoms are surrounding wonderful monuments and buildings- here before I came to the US...! I liked DC very much! Today, I had the opportunity to get a free guided tour of the U.S. Capitol. Thank you, Chito!

US Capitol

Cherry Blossom Fest: Cranes for Japan and a Magical Ceremony

Misako Ballet Company

Beautiful Kimonos adorned the Ceremony

This year, during the National Cherry Blossom Family Day opening ceremony, families were asked to create small cranes using origami.  These cranes are not that simple to make -- in fact it takes a lot of creativity, perserverance and group work.

But once all their hard work was finished, the families watched their prized possessions get taken away -- they were asked to give them up.

The cranes will then be shipped to the Bezos Family Foundation in Seattle whose goal is to partner with children around the world to support their Japanese peers.

A view of the big pink lanterns that hung from the rafters of the Museum

 The Foundation has pledged to donate $2 for every paper crane it receives from the National Cherry Blossom Festival for rebuilding efforts in Japan.

The ceremony was amazing, as it is every year.  But next year, for the Centennial celebration, we should expect an even more amazing show.  The focus this year is on our unconditional and lasting support for Japan.

We were especially touched by the smooth jazz piano performance by Keiko Matsui who played a beautiful rendition of "Cherry Blossom."

The Take Dancers were just as magically impressive, blending east and west athletic-art form to communicate universal health and happiness.

These kids are working hard with their parents in making origami.

Also just as wonderfully impressive was the Washington National Opera, Domingo-Cafritz Young Artists.  Both tenor, Jose Ortega and Maryland native, soprano Jennifer Lynn Waters wowed the audience and made the cheery, pink petals flutter all around the Tidal Basin.

Japanese Students Walk for National Epilepsy

Yokohama Hayato Senior High School during the National Walk for Epilepsy

More than 100 Japanese 10th-grade students from Yokohama Hayato Senior High School in Yokohama, Japan are visiting DC.  The students arrived last week, just two days after the earthquake shook the island nation, creating a tsunami that flooded the east coast.

Their trip is sponsored by Sakura Educational Exchange USA, a Rockville-based nonprofit, and serves as an opportunity for the students to learn about American culture and practice English, 

The students have collected donations for the Japanese Red Cross.  They have really connected with the American students and shared cultures.  The group also planted a tree on the grounds of Rockville High as a symbol of friendship between the two schools.

It's pretty amazing that these Japanese students are moving on in their lives and supporting other worthy initiatives such as the National Walk for Epilepsy  despite experiencing the great tragedy back home.

Despite living thousands of miles away these kids want to make a difference and support the 3 million Americans who live with seizures as well as their friends and family who support them.

The walk has grown to an event with 8000 participants and has raised several million dollars for the cause.

The walk included a pre-rally with music and guests, face-painting and a short, non-competitive, family-oriented walk.

"Stand for Japan" at the TIdal Basin

Spirit of Hope and Rebuilding at the Tidal Basin

Yayoi with Ambassador Ichiro Fujisaki

Yayoi is visiting us from Japan.  She was in NYC when the deadly earthquake and Tsunami struck Honshu.  Sadly, Yayoi's parents still live in Fukushima, just 18 miles from the Daiichi power plants.

The plant was old with inadequate safety features.  When the natural disaster hit, the electricity supply was hampered, knocking out the cooling system.  Nuclear power needs coolant.  And without coolant, the reactor quickly heats up and is susceptible to failure.

A couple of days later, the plant exploded, spewing radiation into the atmosphere.  The radiation has spread south over Tokyo and northeast over the Pacific Ocean.

Today, Yayoi and I attended the National Cherry Blossom Festival "Stand for Japan".  We were deeply honored to attend and show our unyielding support for our partnership with one our greatest ally.

"Everything started on what I call 3/11 — earthquake, tsunami and nuclear incident — and we are still struggling," he said. "This is a very tough fight, but the consolation is people around the world are trying to be with us," said Ambassador Fujisaki.

After the ceremony, the Ambassador and a crowd of several hundred walked around the Tidal Basin with glow sticks in hand, waiving support for  one of America's closest Tomodachi, Japan.

I love Japan -- it's culture, it's language, it's people. Living in DC, I don't get the opportunity to meet a lot of Japanese.  That is why I am truly proud and elated that every year, my hometown showcases the largest festival celebrating the Japanese  culture and the biggest Japanese street festival in the world.