On April 7, 2024 please join the Philadelphia Visitor Center Corporation, Independence National Historical Park, and Japan America Society of Greater Philadelphia for a program of brief remarks at a press event including performances with artists from Japan and the Philadelphia Orchestra to celebrate the 2024 Philadelphia Cherry Blossom Festival.
Sunday, April 7, 2024
1:00–2:00pm
East Terrace at The Liberty View
Independence Visitor Center
599 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA / Google Maps >>
This event is free and open to the public.
For more information, please email Maita Soukup at the Philadelphia Visitor Center Corporation at msoukup@phlvisitorcenter.com.
Aerial view of Independence National Historical Park in Philadelphia. Photo by We Film Philly for Visit Philadelphia.
About the Event
Japan America Society of Greater Philadelphia (JASGP) annually hosts the month-long Cherry Blossom Festival, culminating with Sakura Weekend, the festival’s centerpiece event, held each year alongside the blossoming cherry trees of Fairmount Park. This festival is one of the largest and most prolific annual spring Cherry Blossom Celebrations on the East Coast of America.
During this public press event, JASGP will present two Japanese cherry blossom trees to be planted at Independence National Historical Park in the coming months. This gift is part of a JASGP program sponsored by PHLY Foundation to plant hundreds of additional cherry blossom trees in Philadelphia by 2026 to commemorate America’s Semiquincentennial (250th) anniversary.
Featured Performances
Tamagawa University Taiko and Dance Troupe
The Tamagawa University Taiko and Dance Troupe performs both modern and traditional styles of Japanese performing arts that come together for a performance that is both athletic and graceful. The show is a visually stunning display of art and artistry that has become an annual favorite for Cherry Blossom Festival audiences.
Ebihara Rogen
Ebihara Rogen is a renowned Japanese calligrapher celebrated for his mastery of brushwork and profound artistic expression. Rogen’s calligraphy performances have captivated audiences worldwide for decades, and his works are in the collections of the Canadian Museum of History, the Japanese Embassy in France, the Daming Temple in China, the Shaanxi Provincial Museum of History, the Italian Embassy in Japan, and the Hotel Gajoen in Tokyo.
Daniel Matsukawa
Mr. Matsukawa is principal bassoon of the Philadelphia Orchestra. He has been a recipient of numerous awards and prizes, including a solo concerto debut in Carnegie Hall at age eighteen. Since then he has appeared as a soloist with several orchestras, including the Philadelphia Orchestra; the National, Virginia, and Curtis symphony orchestras; the New York String Orchestra under Alexander Schneider; the Auckland Philharmonia in New Zealand; and the Sapporo Symphony in Japan.
