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!

Cherry Blossom Celebration at NMAA

March–April 2025

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

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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!

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Cherry Blossom Merch

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.

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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.

The Print Generation

November 16, 2024–April 27, 2025

This exhibition presents a selection of creative prints that challenged the dominant narrative of what it meant to be an artist in twentieth-century Japan. While the labor of print production was historically divided among different craftspeople, a new generation of print artists sought to reinvent the medium by undertaking all aspects of a work’s creation—designing, carving, and printing—themselves. Living through imperialist expansion, wartime scarcity, and foreign occupation, these artists pursued international recognition for works that captured their individualism and self-expression amid a changing world. 

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Striking Objects: Contemporary Japanese Metalwork

March 2, 2024–January 11, 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.

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Reasons to Gather: Japanese Tea Practice Unwrapped

April 12, 2025–April 26, 2026

This exhibition presents eleven historic tea utensils and accessories that accumulated significance over generations of use at tea gatherings. These ceramics, hanging scrolls, boxes, and wrapping cloths tell a story of exchange from across Asia to Japanese tea rooms.

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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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Japanese Art from the Collection

Ongoing

This exhibition highlights both iconic and lesser-known aspects of Japanese culture through paintings and ceramics from the Freer Gallery of Art Collection. Learn about Japanese art with a focus on the environment, notions of the body, historical crises, and new research findings.

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