Sakura

This article is about cherry blossoms; for the city in Chiba Prefecture, see Sakura, Chiba.

Close up on Cherry blossoms

Sakura (桜) is the Japanese name for the cherry tree and its blossoms.

A well-known symbol of Japan, sakura are said to represent the beautiful yet fleeting and ephemeral nature of life, and are a frequent subject of all forms of Japanese art. The yearly Hanami festival celebrates the beauty of sakura.

Japan gave 3,000 sakura as a gift to the United States in 1912 to celebrate the nations' then growing friendship. These trees have since lined the shore of the Tidal Basin in Washington, DC (see West Potomac Park), and the gift was renewed with another 3,800 trees in 1956. The sakura trees continue to be a popular tourist attraction (and the subject of the annual National Cherry Blossom Festival)[1] when they reach full bloom in early spring.

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