Volunteering with SJA at Sakura Matsuri 2025

This article was contributed by Kenshu Dieguez.

Cherry blossom season is a period of around 2 weeks dedicated to celebrating the beautiful cherry blossoms sprawling around DC. During this period, DC is bustling with activity. Many people come to examine the exotic pink flowers first donated by Japan in 1912. Along with seeing the trees, there are numerous cherry blossom related events to attend which can be found on the National Cherry Blossom Festival website linked at the bottom. One notable event is the Sakura Matsuri. 

Sakura Matsuri means “Cherry Blossom Festival” in Japanese. It’s a two day street festival taking place in the middle of DC that’s the largest celebration of Japanese culture in the United States. People enjoy Japanese food, beverages, entertainment, activities, handmade crafts, and so much more! In fact, the SJA manages their own booth at the Sakura Matsuri! 

I’ve gone to the Sakura Matsuri almost every year with my parents. However, this year, I volunteered at the Sakura Matsuri with the SJA. At the SJA booth people participated in origami making, Japanese trivia games, Japanese speaking practice, and matcha tasting. With such a wide variety of activities, our booth was a resounding success this year! In particular, matcha tasting was immensely popular. Visitors savored traditional Japanese matcha with Japanese sweets, teaching them about a beverage crucial to Japanese culture. 

Being the first Sakura Matsuri I volunteered in, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I specifically volunteered for the Japanese trivia game. The Japanese trivia game consisted of a spinner wheel with different categories for questions. The game provided amazing prizes ranging from Japanese snacks to Japanese novels and manga. Many participants happily walked away with additional knowledge about Japan and a prize to take home. With each participant who walked away satisfied with their experience at the booth, I couldn’t help but smile. Volunteering has been a terrific experience for me and I plan to continue volunteering with the SJA in the future!

Sakura Matsuri is truly a one of a kind experience. All those interested in Japan should make an effort to attend. Hope to see you next Sakura Matsuri!