Cherry Blossom Festival

Each Spring, locals and visitors alike head to San Francisco’s Japantown to celebrate the heritage and cultural traditions of the Japanese and Japanese-American community as part of the Northern California Cherry Blossom Festival. 

The Spring festival marks the arrival of spring and cherry blossoms in famously fog-shrouded San Francisco. In Japan, hanami is the centuries-old practice of celebrating cherry blossoms, or sakura, which appear for only a few weeks each year. 

The Northern California celebration is one of the largest cherry blossom festivals outside of Japan, with performances, music, art, exhibits, and a Grand Parade. For more details and information, visit https://sfcherryblossom.org/

Performance Schedule

Thurs, April 9, 10-2, Shirley Muramoto, Murasaki Ensemble
Koto Harp Koto musician, teacher, and band leader, Shirley Muramoto received her “Shihan” degree (instructor’s license) with “Yushusho” (highest) honors and her “Dai Shihan” Master’s degree from Chikushi School in Fukuoka, Japan. She has performed and taught in the SF Bay Area for over 40 years. Shirley’s mother was introduced to koto while imprisoned in a WWII American internment camp, and passed it down to Shirley. She has researched Japanese traditional cultural arts in these camps and gives talks and performs music based on this history. More at https://www.skmkoto.com.

Fri, April 10, 10-2, Gen Taiko and Odori 
GenRyu Arts was founded in 1995 as Gen Taiko and Odori school and performing arts ensemble. In 2023 GenRyu Arts expanded their arts programming in Studio Gen, holding Japanese festival celebrations including art exhibits, Japanese music, dance, art crafts, and SF Japantown history sharing. Today's presentation showcases Gen Taiko and Odori performing ensemble. More at https://www.genryuarts.org.

Thurs, April 16, 10-2, Kiyonomoto Ryu 
Kiyonomoto Ryu, our USA branch of the Kiyonomoto School of traditional Japanese dancing, was founded in 1994. Celebrating 30 years, under the leadership of head instructor Kiyonomoto Katsunami and Kiyonomoto Katsuno. More at https://www.facebook.com/kiyonomotoryu/

Fri, April 17, 12-3, Ito Yosakoi/Kazanami 
Kazanami 華鎖波 is a coalition of yosakoi dance teams in North America started in 2019 by Ito Yosakoi to establish a formal annual yosakoi exhibition in the United States and promote yosakoi as a growing art form, as well as build a broader community among North American yosakoi teams. This year, the following ten yosakoi teams will be performing, including Ito Yosakoi (San Francisco Japantown) at SFO. More at https://www.facebook.com/kazanamiyosakoi.