22 Apr Northern California Cherry Blossom Festival

Last Sunday I attended the Northern California Cherry Blossom Festival here in SF. The festival celebrated 50 years of Japanese culture and showcased the diversity of Japanese-American culture.

Completely free to attend the festival offered everything that you could want from a good ol’ SF street fayre. There were food vendors, stalls selling all sorts of handmade goods – art work, toys, clothing, jewellery – and, of course, there was a parade. The parade was a fantastic as SF residents of all ages and ethnicities came together to celebrate right in the heart of Japantown.

This is the second largest Cherry Blossom festival in the US, with Washington DC’s celebrations taking the lead. SF’s Japantown is one of only 3 Japantowns in the entire US so this celebration really was a special one. The persistent rain did not dampen the mood of the day. The paraders danced, sang and performed spectacularly without any sign that the weather was an issue.

For me, it was great to explore a new area of SF. I had actually never really been to Japantown until last weekend. It is a treasure trove of shops, cafes and restaurants that I cannot wait to go back to an explore some more. My personal highlights were the Kinokuniya book store (so much Studio Ghibli!!!!!) and the “Dragon’s Breath” ice cream. Seriously, Google them both!!!

Overall, Japantown 10/10, would recommend.