First held in 1961, the Sakura Matsuri - Japanese Street Festival has grown to become the largest one-day exhibition of Japanese culture in the United States.
Stretching for nearly one mile through the streets of downtown Washington DC, from near the White House to FBI headquarters, it is held each spring as the climax of the two-week National Cherry Blossom Festival. On good weather days, it has drawn as many as 120,000 visitors in 7 hours.
The Sakura Matsuri is a family-friendly festival and has something for everyone. There are over 20 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 three stages, including traditional and popular Japanese music and dance and martial arts demonstrations.
The Sakura Matsuri - Japanese Street Festival is divided into six main areas:
Taste of Japan - with restaurants selling Japanese food The Ginza Marketplace - with traditional Japanese products for sale J-POP Land - celebrating modern, youthful Japan Performing Arts - featuring traditional Japanese music and dance Japanese Martial Arts Japanese Arts and Culture Exhibitions
Plus two Japanese beer gardens and a sake tasting.
And four Matsuri Markets that sell soft drinks, Japanese snack foods, and Sakura Matsuri T-shirts
If it's Japanese, it's at the Sakura Matsuri!
Join Us at the Sakura Matsuri - Japanese Street Festival
Saturday, April 12, 2008 from 11:00 am - 6:00 pm
12th Street & Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
2008 Application Forms can be downloaded below
Want to Visit the Sakura Matsuri?
If you are a visitor interested in coming to the Sakura Matsuri, please go to our special
website, www.sakuramatsuri.org for the latest information.
For information on all the events in the 2-week National Cherry Blossom Festival,
click here.
Want to Participate in the Sakura Matsuri?
If you are a restaurant owner, an exhibitor, vendor, performer, craftsman or craftswoman,
or a potential sponsor interested in participating in the Sakura Matsuri, please click
on the appropriate box below.
This is a Japanese Street Festival, and all participants are asked to add to the day's
Japanese character and flavor.
Want to Volunteer at the Sakura Matsuri?
You will have the time of your life as we take over the streets of downtown DC
and bring real enjoyment to tens of thousands of visitors. To volunteer, click here.
Or call 202-833-2210 and ask for the Sakura Matsuri coordinator
The Japan-America Society of Washington, Inc.
1819 L Street NW, Level 1B, Washington DC 20036
(T) 202-833-2210 (F) 202-833-2456 Email: jaswdc@us-japan.org
