Nashville Cherry Blossom Festival

Dear Friends,
It is our great pleasure to announce that the Nashville Cherry Blossom Festival Committee has been established with an ambitious mission to plant 1,000 cherry trees in the city by planting 100 trees every spring over 10 years. The cherry trees will not only beautify the landscape of the city but also provide a backdrop for the annual Nashville Cherry Blossom Festival, or Sakura Matsuri, which celebrates the close bond between Americans and Japanese in Tennessee.

Cherry blossoms, or Sakura, have been the symbol of friendship between the United States and Japan since the Mayor of Tokyo sent 3,000 cherry trees to Washington, D.C. in 1912 as gifts honoring the lasting friendship between the two countries. Now cherry blossom festivals are celebrated every spring, not only along the Potomac River but all over the United States, bringing a taste of Japanese culture to the local communities and attracting many tourists.

There are 140 Japanese companies contributing to the local economic development in Tennessee. Japan is the largest investor and the first country to establish a Consulate-General in the state. In honoring these close ties between the two countries, we decided to start the Cherry Blossom Festival Project here in Nashville. The first planting ceremony and festival will be held on Saturday, April 18, 2009 in front of the Metro Courthouse. Corporate and individual sponsorship is available. Your generous donation to support this project is deeply appreciated. We hope you will join us in this initiative and help both the cherry trees and festival to flourish, symbolizing the continued growth of our US-Japan friendship.

Sincerely,

Edward G. Nelson
Chairman, Nashville Cherry Blossom Festival Committee