Japan will give the United States 250 cherry trees to replace some of those soon to be removed from the Tidal Basin for construction. The gift honors the United States’ 250th anniversary.
President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced news of the gift as Biden welcomed Kishida to the White House for a state visit.
“The cherry trees along the Potomac River are a symbol of the friendship between Japan and the United States. These Japanese-born cherry trees have been sounding the arrival of spring to the city every year for over 110 years,” Kishida said. “Just as the local residents have cherished and protected these cherry trees, the Japan-U.S. relationship has been supported and nurtured by the many people who love each other’s country.”
Biden and Kishida, along with First Lady Jill Biden and the prime minister’s wife, Yuko Kishida, visited three cherry trees — one that the first ladies planted together last year and two that are part of the new gift of 250 trees.
“Like our friendship, these trees are timeless, inspiring, and thriving,” Biden said.
The National Park Service is set to begin a three-year, $113 million construction project that will remove about 158 trees around the Tidal Basin in late May. The project is necessary to repair the crumbling seawalls around the Tidal Basin.
In total, there are 3,700 Japanese flowering cherry trees on the National Mall. This year marks the 112th anniversary of Japan’s 1912 gift of 3,000 trees.
“It’s spring in Washington. The sun is shining. And every spring, cherry blossoms bloom across the city thanks to a gift from Japan of 3,000 cherry trees over a century ago,” Biden said.
Feature image courtesy National Park Service/Facebook
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