Every spring, Washington, D.C.'s cherry trees draw thousands of people, making it one of the biggest tourist attractions in the nation's capital. Sadly, it was announced that 140 of these trees will be torn up as part of a restoration project in the Tidal Basin. Knowing what they mean to the local culture, Japan has stepped up, and will be gifting 250 new trees to the city in honor of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
The announcement was made by Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida during a ceremony at the White House as part of a state visit. President Joe Biden then thanked Kishida for the cherry trees, stating, “Like our friendship, these trees are timeless, inspiring and thriving.”
Washington's first Japanese cherry trees were a gift from the mayor of Tokyo, Yukio Ozaki, in 1912. The 3,020 trees of 12 different varieties were planted along the Potomac River, the Tidal Basin, and around the city. After World War II, the National Park Service (NPS) shipped budwood from descendants of those same trees back to Tokyo to help restore the original grove, which had fallen into decline.
“These Japanese-born cherry trees have been sounding the arrival of spring to the city every year for over 110 years,” the prime minister said. Kishida also noted that the Somei Yoshino variety had a life span of about 60 years in the city, but that the original trees had bloomed for more than 100 years thanks to the city’s top quality care.
The 140 trees that are being removed will make new room for taller sea walls around the the Tidal Basin and along the Potomac River. Since the current sea walls were constructed in the 1800s, they have sunk too low to offer protection against tidal waves and storm surges. “This critical investment will ensure the park is able to protect some of the nation’s most iconic memorials and the Japanese flowering cherry trees from the immediate threats of failing infrastructure and rising sea levels for the next 100 years,” writes the NPS.
“Since Tokyo’s mayor donated the first cherry trees to our nation’s capital over a century ago, their blossoms are a way that many of us mark the beginning of another spring, a reminder of our friendship and its immeasurable impact on our people and on the entire world,” says Secretary of State Antony Blinken. “I shared with the prime minister yesterday that people come from across the United States to Washington because of the cherry trees. It’s a remarkable thing that this has become one of the most powerful symbols of our capital, and it’s thanks to Japan.”
Japan will be gifting 250 new trees to the U.S. in honor of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
These will help replace the 140 trees will be torn up as part of a restoration project in the Tidal Basin.
“Like our friendship, these trees are timeless, inspiring, and thriving,” said President Biden.
h/t: [The New York Times]
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