Spring Festival Spotlight: Nashville Cherry Blossom Festival

From Nissan and Kawasaki to Marubeni-Itochu Steel, Nashville and its rise to “It City” status has coincided with a marked increase of Japanese companies with a presence in the Metro area. But such international relationships are not merely signs of the American South’s global reach. They are an opportunity to create shared traditions that preserve the past while looking forward to the future. And that’s exactly what the Nashville Cherry Blossom Festival aims to do.

Since 2009, the festival has brought the Japanese concept of Hanami to Middle Tennessee–ringing in the spring with blossom-watching parties and surrounding festivities that range from moments of quiet group introspection to community block parties. After a recent move to Nashville, the Japanese Consulate met with then mayor Karl Dean to enact a plan that would involve planting 1000 cherry blossom trees in green spaces over the next ten years, an initiative that also strengthened the ties between Nashville and its Japanese sister city, Kamakura. From its inception, the Cherry Blossom Festival instantly became a staple on Nashville’s spring calendar growing from 200 attendees to 50,000 in the intervening years. 

Held at Public Square Park from 9:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 12th, the event features martial arts demonstrations, dozens of musical performances, traditional Japanese drum groups, bonsai workshops, and cultural lectures ranging from discussions of Japanese tea to manga drawing sessions. A curated selection of Taste of Japan food trucks will also be on hand for those wanting to grab a bite in between the event’s Cosplay contest and Sumo wrestler suit sessions. “It's a great family friendly event. We’re all ages,” Ginger Byrn, Director of Programs & Membership Development for the Japan-America Society of Tennessee said. “There's something for everyone and, it's free admission.”

For Byrn, whose organization aims to promote friendly relations and cross-culture exchange between Tennessee and Japan, the festival is an ideal time to share the similarities between how two distinct cultures celebrate the beginning of spring. “The cherry blossom tree does have a spiritual significance to Japan, she said. “The fleeting beauty of it. The blossoms don’t last that long and then just fall. It’s a very special time.”

More information on the festival can be found on its website. Limited parking is available at the Metro Courthouse Garage and Lot E of Nissan Stadium.