Cherry Blossom Festival brings culture, experiences

While the day may have started out dreary, hundreds of visitors came out to the Birmingham Botanical Gardens on March 18 for the 12th annual Cherry Blossom Festival, hosted by the Japan America Society of Alabama (JASA). 

The program, which is designed to help the people of Alabama and those with Japanese heritage living in Alabama create friendly and professional relationships, has been around for 30 years and started the Cherry Blossom Festival to help promote Japanese culture in the local area said Teresa Wise with JASA.

This year, the festival held activities such as a performance by the Japanese children's choir, demonstrations from the International Shinkendo Foundation, a shakuhachi performance and an A.C.T. Bujinkan Budo Taijutsu demonstration. Guests were also able to indulge in Japanese food, which was a new feature this year, and visit different booths to learn calligraphy and the art of Japanese flower arranging amongst other things.

"It just grows every year in terms of numbers and in terms of people who come and booths that participate," Wise said. "Birmingham is becoming more international through business and culture and this festival expands ... opportunity."