Each year, the National Cherry Blossom Festival celebrates the friendship between the United States and Japan, but 2012 is especially significant. This year marks the 100th anniversary of a very special gift: 3,000 cherry blossom trees given to Washington D.C. by Mayor Yukio Ozaki of Tokyo.
Drawing over a million people annually, the 2012 festival offers many ways to celebrate: paddle your own boat along the Tidal Basin, take a bike tour, enjoy a sushi and sake tasting cruise on the Potomac, or take in Japanese culture at the Library of Congress. The festival runs through April 27, 2012.
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