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National Cherry Blossom Festival

Celebrate the National Cherry Blossom Festival with the National Museum of Asian Art!

The revered sakura, or cherry blossoms, have been celebrated in landscapes, figure paintings, and prints by artists from medieval Japan to Katsushika Hokusai and beyond. Variously thought of as representing the impermanence of things and the joy of spending time together admiring the blossoms, sakura are symbols of joy and cultural meaning.

In Washington, DC, the cherry tree has become a cherished symbol of the friendship between Japan and the United States. It all began in 1912, when Washington saw the arrival of more than 3,000 Japanese cherry trees, the first two of which were planted in West Potomac Park by First Lady Helen Herron Taft and Viscountess Chinda, the wife of the ambassador of Japan to the United States. Since then, Washington, DC’s National Cherry Blossom Festival has grown to include numerous programs and events celebrating the beauty of nature, community spirit, and international friendship.

Don’t miss out on hanami, the traditional Japanese custom of “flower viewing.” Celebrate from home with an array of programs and activities that the National Museum of Asian Art is bringing to your fingertips. Take your group on an interactive docent tour to learn about cherry blossoms in our collections. Explore more Japanese art on your own time with our Objects We Love video series. Take a break and meditate with cherry blossom-themed art in an online Meditation and Mindfulness session, and use specially designed cherry blossom art backgrounds in your next Zoom call.

We look forward to celebrating the season with you. Happy spring!

Painted screen depicting people beneath a blossoming cherry tree.

Cherry Blossom Celebration at NMAA

March 20–April 14, 2024

Celebrate spring in bloom at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art with free attractions for all ages.

View All Cherry Blossom Events

Featured Cherry Blossom Tours

  • Virtual Cherry Blossom Tour

    The revered sakura, or cherry blossom, has been celebrated in landscapes, figure paintings, and prints by artists from medieval Japan to Katsushika Hokusai and beyond. Long after the cherry blossoms fall in Washington, DC, you are invited to embrace hanami, the traditional Japanese custom of “flower viewing,” by going cherry blossom viewing in the museum’s Japanese art collections!

    Request a Virtual Tour

Treasures from Our Japanese Art Collections

Discover Japanese art from our collections and enjoy talks and performances. Our experts love these exceptional objects, and we think you will fall in love with them too.

Japanese Art Exhibitions

Experience the Japanese art exhibitions that are currently on view, or browse our exhibition archive.

  • Delicately painted red flowers and small fruit against a light brown background, surrounded by green leaves.

    Rinpa: Creativity Across Time and Space

    October 1, 2022–April 2, 2023

    The Japanese painting movement now known as Rinpa was a loose association of artists that began around the dawn of the seventeenth century and continued into the nineteenth century. Their aesthetic came to define an almost stereotypical image of Japanese art consisting of stylized forms in bright colors. We invite you to explore a selection of paintings and ceramics by several generations of Rinpa artists from our collection.

    Learn More
  • A close-up view of a golden metal vessel, hammered into a textured surface with a pattern of interconnected ridges and smooth roundels.

    Striking Objects: Contemporary Japanese Metalwork

    March 2, 2024–early 2026

    Contemporary Japanese metalworking breathes life into traditional methods that have been passed down and practiced over generations. The artists featured in Striking Objects create masterpieces that combine tradition with creativity and innovation.

    Learn More
  • Three side-by-side close-ups of decorated ceramic vessels. The left-most detail shows a purplish iridescent glaze. The middle detail shows a yellow and white leaf against a pale pink glaze. The right-most detail shows a design of a leaf set against a dark reddish brown glaze.

    Knotted Clay: Raku Ceramics and Tea

    December 9, 2023–2026

    Raku ware shares its name with the family that has made these ceramics in Kyoto since the sixteenth century. Unlike most tea bowls, Raku ceramics are built by hand—a process described as “knotting clay”—as opposed to using a wheel. This exhibition explores these distinctive, hand-molded ceramics and their close relationship to Japanese tea culture.

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  • A mountainous landscape, painted in ink in a softly abstracted style and accented with muted blue and red hues.

    Imagined Neighbors: Japanese Visions of China, 1680–1980

    March 16–September 3, 2024

    For three hundred years, a loose movement of Japanese artists, often referred to as literati, turned to neighboring China—variably a source for emulation and a source of rivalry—for inspiration. As disparate and diverse as the literati movement was, its members were united by a common language that embraced diverse notions of “China”—a place both familiar and foreign, as much imagined as it was known.

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  • Two semi-transparent, spectral figures from Japanese prints, arranged side-by-side against a black background. The figure on the left stares at the viewer with wide eyes, an open mouth, and a large mane of hair that is standing on end. The figure on the right, his blue-and-white face scowling, wears elaborate armor and brandishes a weapon, while his right hand is outstretched.

    Staging the Supernatural: Ghosts and the Theater in Japanese Prints

    March 23–October 6, 2024

    Throughout Japanese cultural history, the boundary between the real world and the world of supernatural beings has been remarkably porous. Supernatural entities came to life especially during noh and kabuki theater performances. Explore—if you dare—the roles that ghosts and spirits play in the retelling of Japanese legends and real events.

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Cherry Blossom Cheer

Join your next Zoom call with a background featuring cherry blossom-themed artworks from the National Museum of Asian Art collections.

Hanami at Home

Banner with product images of clothing and accessories featuring cherry blossom designs against a pale pink background. Text on the image reads:

Cherry Blossom Collection

Back by popular demand! Much like the beloved blossoms themselves, our limited-edition cherry blossom merchandise is here for a limited time in our exclusive online pop-up store. Show off your love of the season and support the National Museum of Asian Art with this new collection inspired by artworks from the museum. Available through April 30, while supplies last.

Shop Now

In Japanese / 日本語によるフリーアとサックラー

Our museum is committed to making our collections and expertise more widely accessible through programs and resources in multiple languages. In this playlist, you will be able to enjoy Japanese-language material. More coming soon!

Hokusai Night // 太平洋を越えて北斎を語る | View on YouTube

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