The District in Full Bloom

A large inflated cherry blossom greets you at the National Building Museum.

The walls are adorned with pink paper flowers. Little origami cranes hang from the high ceilings and elaborate ikebana bouquets sit on the corner tables. T-shirts, bags and badges are sold in one corner while counters for face painting stand on the other side.

“It’s beautiful, really," said Indira Rizal of Philadelphia. "I come here each year, and I will keep coming back,"

This year's festival, which commemorates the 1912 gift of 3,000 Japanese cherry trees, runs for two weeks through April 12.

The opening ceremony on March 28 featured a ballet performance where the dancers imitated the blooming of the pink flowers.

This was followed by the star attraction of the evening, Enka songs by Jerome White Jr., a black singer whose grandmother was Japanese, and Aikido, a group that performs taijitsu to music. This was his first U.S. tour. Enka songs are traditional Japanese songs that were first sung as a means of political activism during the late 19th century.

“My main reason to come today was to see Jerome White Jr.," said college student and Japan native Maya Ogusawara.

More events are planned for the rest of the week including parades, sumo wrestling, beer drinking, soccer tournaments, art exhibitions and boat rides.

“I have brought my children to see what their culture is about,” said Washington, D.C., resident Ayuko Okano, whose family was originally from Japan.

For more information on tickets and venues visit www.nationalcherryblossomfestival.org