Once more than five flowers on the special Somei Yoshino trees have bloomed, the Tokyo Meteorological Agency declares the official start of cherry blossom season. Visitors crowd into Japan to celebrate the beauty of the sakura first-hand.

Right now, here in Vancouver, there can be no doubt: it is cherry blossom season!  Up and down our city streets, walkers are craning their heads up into the blossoms and posing, some in their prom best, for prime pink scrolling.

The extravagant cherry blossom season we enjoy in Vancouver was sparked by generous gifts from Japan. In the 1930’s, the mayors of Yokohama and Kobe gave the Vancouver Parks Board 500 cherry blossom trees to honour Japanese Canadians who served in World War II. They were to be planted at the Japanese cenotaph in Stanley Park. In 1958, Muneo Tanabe, the Japanese consul, donated 300 trees to Vancouver to celebrate the friendship between our two countries.

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Vancouver’s Cherry Blossom Festival – which usually runs live in April – is our annual celebration of the sakura. The Honourable Dr. David C. Lam was a key benefactor behind the festival, and a grove has been planted at VanDusen Botanical Garden to honour him.

In 2022, the Cherry Blossom Festival  – ‘an intra-community arts and culture outdoor festival’ – runs from April 1st through 23rd. Events include guided and DIY walks, and Sakura Days Japan Fair (which this year requires pre-registration), April 9th and 10th at VanDusen Botanical Garden. In visiting the VCBF site, you’ll also find Cherry Blossom Maps, including what is ‘Blooming Now’.

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VCBF 2022

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Last year, Chief Drone Pilot Patrick Weir and Peacemaker Films captured Vancouver’s cherry blossoms and festival: In Full Bloom.

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If you’re interested in bringing some of this cherry blossom beauty home, here’s a video from South Korea’s Maison Olivia on how to make cherry blossom flowers for cakes.

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www.creatorsvancouver.com

Photos: Tomoko Uji