Welcome!
(These videos are co-sponsored by NHK WORLD-JAPAN in cooperation with the Consulate-General of Japan)
Welcome to the 50th annual Cherry Blossom Festival, held at the Seattle Center again this year from Friday April 11 until Sunday April 13, 11am to 5pm each day! To view the full schedule of in-person events at the Seattle Center, please click here.
Did you enjoy your time at the Festival? You can complete the 50th Annual Seattle Cherry Blossom & Japanese Cultural Festival Survey by clicking here. We would love to hear your feedback.
As part of this milestone Festival guests will be able to come and enjoy:
Art 50 ExhibitHeld in the Armory Loft over all 3 days of the Festival, this Art Exhibit will feature over 100 pieces of 2D and 3D art in a wide variety of mediums. Some of the artwork will even be available for purchase.
Rain City Open Sumo TournamentHeld all day on Saturday April 12th in the Exhibition Hall, the Rain City Open will be the first public sumo tournament that is a part of the festival. Presented in partnership with Rain City Sumo the tournament will feature over 50 competitors from all over the world, including Canada, Mexico, Scotland, and even as far away as Egypt and Iran!
PassportThe passport program returns! Young visitors - or the young-at-heart can collect six stamps from the various booths, exhibits, demonstrations, performances, and activities to earn a prize & an entry into a free raffle!
Opening CeremonyThe Festival’s opening ceremony will take place on the Armory Stage between 5pm and 5:45pm on Friday April 11, 2025. All are welcome!
For those who prefer to stay in this year, NHK WORLD-JAPAN has generously released a series of free documentary videos. Please browse the full selection below, and happy watching!
(These videos are co-sponsored by NHK WORLD-JAPAN in cooperation with the Consulate-General of Japan)
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Core Kyoto: Flower Art: Ephemeral Colors for the Mind and Soul
Flowers in bloom manifest the changing beauty of nature over time. Kyotoites treasure them as symbols of not only nature but life. Flower-inspired artworks are created in various fields in Kyoto. A Japanese-style painter uses folding fans as canvases. A metal artisan conveys the transience of flowers. A photographer confronts life by capturing withering flowers. A priest and his wife float seasonal flowers in water to comfort worshippers. Discover how Kyotoites express their love of flowers. (28 min) -
Core Kyoto: Cooking Utensils: Craftwork Ensures the Future of Traditional Cuisine
Cooking utensils influence Kyoto cuisine, helping to bring out the inherent flavor of local ingredients. Artisans and chefs believe that upholding the handicrafts sustains the taste of Kyoto. (28 min) -
Trails to Oishii Tokyo: WAGASHI
Wagashi, or traditional Japanese sweets made with unique ingredients like bean paste and agar jelly, are little works of art that excite all five senses. Their beauty and flavors reflect the changing of the seasons. Join us in Japan's former capital, Kyoto, to discover how wagashi became ingrained in daily life. At a shop that prepares desserts for tea parties, learn to make Japanese sweets using bean paste and traditional tools. Also explore the food's place in modern society, including coffee pairing and the use of novel ingredients that transform wagashi into a full-course meal. (Reporter: Michael Keida) (28 min) -
Trails to Oishii Tokyo: SOMEN
Somen: these traditional Japanese noodles are amazingly thin and white. Japan has many noodles, like soba, udon and ramen, but the saga of somen goes back some 1,200 years. We visit Miwa, Nara Prefecture to see how traditional techniques are used to stretch somen again and again over a two-day period to achieve millimeter thinness. We also see how somen works in recipes from curry to Okinawan to even Italian with cheese and tomato sauce. Slurp into the history of somen! (Reporter: Saskia Thoelen) (28 min) -
Satoyama Kitchen Diary: Fermented Flavors and Friendships Make a Fine Feast
Winter in Hida, Gifu Prefecture, is cold and snowy indeed! Nobuko and her husband Makoto are preparing another fabulous feast to warm the hearts of their guests. They drop by their friend Hiroshi's shop for some malted rice, a traditional fermented essential, then visit their other pal Chieko for some homemade cold-dried daikon radish. Pairing the two ingredients with a myriad of others, Nobuko whips up a winter feast like none other. Discover the unique fermented flavors of mountainous Hida! (27 min) -
10 Years with Hayao Miyazaki: Ep. 1 Ponyo is Here
An exclusive, behind-the-scenes look at the genius of Japan's foremost living film director, Hayao Miyazaki -- creator of some of the world's most iconic and enduring anime feature films. Miyazaki allowed a single documentary filmmaker to shadow him at work, as he dreamed up characters and plot lines for what would become his 2008 blockbuster, "Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea." Miyazaki explores the limits of his physical ability and imagination to conjure up memorable protagonists. (49 min) -
10 Years with Hayao Miyazaki: Ep. 2 Drawing What's Real
An exclusive, behind-the-scenes look at the genius of Japan's foremost living film director, Hayao Miyazaki -- creator of some of the world's most iconic and enduring anime feature films. Miyazaki allowed a single documentary filmmaker to shadow him at work on what would become his 2008 blockbuster, "Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea." As he dreams up characters and plot lines, he delves into memories of his late mother for a thread to weave the story. "Movies show who you are," Miyazaki says, "no matter how hard you try to hide it." (49 min) -
10 Years with Hayao Miyazaki: Ep. 3 Go Ahead - Threaten Me
An exclusive, behind-the-scenes look at the genius of legendary Japanese animator and director Hayao Miyazaki. For a decade, he allowed a single documentary filmmaker to shadow him. Sparks begin to fly as he and his son, Goro - an up-and-coming director - work on the film "From Up on Poppy Hill" (2011). In the final stretch, a massive earthquake and nuclear disaster rock Japan and leave the team in shock. Amid power outages, they decide they must pause their work. That's when Hayao puts his son's resolve as a director to the test. (49 min) -
10 Years with Hayao Miyazaki: Ep. 4 No Cheap Excuses
An exclusive, behind-the-scenes look at legendary Japanese animator and director Hayao Miyazaki. For a decade, he allowed a single documentary filmmaker to shadow him. At age 72, he takes on a new challenge - one that would become the highly-acclaimed "The Wind Rises" (2013), Miyazaki's first film about a historical figure. Bringing the film from concept to reality turns out to be a long and difficult journey. In the process, Miyazaki grapples with tough questions about issues like aging, and the meaning of making animated films in a turbulent time. (49 min) -
NHK WORLD PRIME: SAMURAI WALL
Castle design evolved in 17th century Japan with stone walls as a key feature. Sakamoto in Shiga Prefecture became famous for its mason's expert techniques for dry-stacking. They traveled across Japan to complete their commissions. But when feudalism ended 150 years ago, many castles were destroyed. While most of the masons lost their jobs, one family in Sakamoto survived by refurbishing old ruins. But the 15th-generation master Suminori Awata is worried about the future. One day he receives an unexpected request to build a castle-style wall in Texas. Awata's journey begins. (49 min 15 sec) -
NHK WORLD PRIME: 3/11 - The Tsunami: The First 3 Days
Using footage shot at the center of the March 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami, we bring you a story of horror and heroism during one of history's worst catastrophes. Vast areas along Japan's Pacific coast were devastated. Entire communities were washed away and residents were forced to evacuate. An accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant created a radioactive no-man's-land. But in the days that followed, amid the chaos and confusion, countless people sprang into action to assist victims and search for survivors. (48 min 30 sec) -
NHK WORLD PRIME: 3/11 - The Tsunami: The First Year
After the mega-tsunami hit Japan in 2011, survivors who'd lost everything struggled to recover. Many people lost not only their homes, but loved ones and livelihoods as well. Beloved traditions were in danger of disappearing. Rumors of radioactive crops devastated farms and fisheries. And many residents feared that those who'd been forced to evacuate would never return. Follow their year-long effort to rebuild their communities with exclusive footage filmed at the center of the disaster. (49 min) -
Japan Railway Journal: Countdown to the Hokuriku Shinkansen Extension
With the extension of the Hokuriku Shinkansen from Kanazawa to Tsuruga, the line will gain six new stations. The local governments along the line are eagerly awaiting the extension as improved access to the Tokyo Metropolitan area is expected to increase the number of visiting tourists and business travelers, boosting the local economy. In addition to new station buildings, efforts are underway to develop the surrounding areas, and systems are being made ready to handle the coming changes. See how regional developments are progressing along the line. (28 min) -
The Perfect 2-Hour Guide: Arashiyama, Kyoto
Be mesmerized by the beauty of Kyoto Prefecture's Arashiyama in its full autumn colors. This area attracts visitors from around the globe. Explore its highlights on an ultimate two-hour condensed course. (49 min) -
Hometown Stories: A Mosque in a Japanese Community
There is a mosque in western Japan where local Muslims gather to pray and seek help when they are troubled. For them, the mosque is like a second home that provides happiness and emotional support. (25 min 15 sec) -
Hometown Stories: Inheriting a Thousand-Year-Old Craft
Ise katagami is the art of crafting stencils for kimono patterns. Now, the artisans practicing it are aging and their numbers shrinking. We look at the people devoted to preserving this tradition. (30 min 15 sec) -
Barakan Discovers IZUMO: Glimpses of the Unseen
In the 19th century, writer Lafcadio Hearn (Koizumi Yakumo) helped introduce Japan to the wider world. Peter Barakan visits Izumo to learn about the natural and unseen realms that Hearn treasured. (49 min) -
Japanology Plus: Vacant Homes
In Japan, one in every seven homes is empty. These 8.5 million vacant properties may increase the risk of fire and burglary, or negatively impact local real estate prices. But new ways are emerging to make use of them. In one regional community, empty homes were turned into high-tech offices or shops, and the local population began to increase. In Tokyo, finding new tenants for shops has revitalized a shopping street. We find out why there are so many vacant homes in Japan and discover some creative solutions. (28 min)
Want to Watch More?
NHK World is available on television, for free via over-the-air-antenna on channel 28.2 (most of the Puget Sound region) 15.2 (Centralia) and on cable: XFinity channel 115. Programs range from documentaries, international news, business, technology, and science information, as well as lifestyle, culture and travel programs produced and presented from Japanese and Asian perspectives.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
50th Annual Seattle Cherry Blossom and Japanese Cultural Festival, April 11-13, 2025
- City of Seattle, Office of the Mayor
- Consulate-General of Japan in Seattle
- Hyogo Business and Cultural Center (HBCC)
- Japan Business Association of Seattle (JBA)
- Japan-America Society of State of Washington (JASSW)
- Japanese American Citizens League (JACL), Seattle Chapter
- Japanese Cultural and Community Center of Washington (JCCCW)
- Seattle-Kobe Sister City Association (SKSCA)
- Seattle Center
- City of Seattle Office of Arts and Culture
- 4Culture, King County
- ArtsFund Community Accelerator
- Seattle Center Festal: 4Culture and Seattle Center Foundation
- NHK World Japan
- Global Travel Telecom/Skygo NHK Cosmo Media
- Kobo at Higo
- Doskoi Catering
- Egg Roll Hut
- Setsuko’s Pastry
- Imo Madoi
- Tokara Confectionery
- Hiroshi’s Catering
- Sakura Sweets
- Amusy Entertainment
- Azuma Gallery
- Beikoku Shodo Kenkyukai, Seattle Chapter
- Cherry Dragon
- Chado Urasenke Tankokai Seattle Association
- Chanoyu Seattle Omotesenke-ryu
- Chiyogami Ningyo by Kuniko Mancini
- Consulate-General of Japan in Seattle
- East-West Chanoyu Center
- Fujima Dance/Music Ensemble
- Hasu-Seizo
- Hoshu Dojo
- Hyogo Business and Cultural Center
- Ichi Bichi
- Ikebana International, Chapter 19
- Inochi Taiko
- Japan in Schools by JASSW
- Japanese American Citizens League, Puyallup Valley Chapter
- Japanese Dance World
- Seattle Japanese Language School & Youth Program Students
- Kagoshima Club of Seattle
- Keiro Northwest
- Ki Aikido USA
- Kid’s Korner
- Kimono Yukata Dress Up hosted by SKSCA
- Kobe Trade and Information Office
- Lynn Miyauchi, Furoshiki Video, courtesy CGoJiS
- Meito Shodo Kenkyu Kai
- Miyagi Kai
- Miyazaki Kenjinkai
- Muso Shinden
- Musokai Iaido Club
- NHK World Japan VOD
- North American Post Publishing/Soy Source
- Northwest Taiko
- Okinawa Kenjin Club of Washington State
- Okinawa Kenjinkai Chijinshuu
- Okinawan Traditional Sanshin Master, Minori Sensei
- Omotosenke
- PNW JET Alumni Association
- PN Kendo Federation
- P.A.P.E.R.
- Rain City Sumo
- Rainier Ginsha
- Saganishiki by Jan Paul
- Seattle Competitive Karuta Club
- Seattle Dojo Judo
- Seattle Flying Dragon Boat Club
- Seattle Fukushima Club
- Seattle Go Center
- Seattle Hiroshima Club
- Seattle Japanese Garden
- Seattle Kishu Club (Wakayama)
- Seattle Kokon Taiko
- Seattle Seido Karate
- Seattle-Tacoma Fukuoka Kenjinkai
- Shintokan Dojo
- The School of Taiko
- Tobe Daiko
- Token Konno Exhibit
- Tomo Uehara
- Tsukamaki by Gunnar Goerlitz
- UV Performing Arts
- Washington Association of Teachers of Japanese
- Washington Karate Association
- Seattle Cherry Blossom & Japanese Cultural Festival Planning Committee
- Our invaluable volunteers!
