Celebrating Japan's cherry tree gift in NYC
Cherry blossoms bloom as a crowd enjoys the warm weather during the annual Cherry Blossom Festival at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. Credit: Getty Images
Mark the 100th anniversary of Japan's gift of cherry trees, or sakura, to New York by exploring the city's trove of flowering trees or taking in one of the special events commemorating the friendship between the two nations. Because of the warm spring some trees will be past peak bloom, but there are plenty of ways to celebrate, whether you prefer a tea ceremony, a baseball game or a wacky game show. Said famous Japanese poet Kobayashi Issa: "In the cherry blossom's shade, there is no such thing as a stranger."
