Sakura Matsuri Japanese Street Festival

The Sakura Matsuri Japanese Street Festival is a major event of the National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington, DC. It is the biggest Japanese street party in the nation. The festival will stretches six blocks and include Japanese performances on five stages, 20 Japanese and Asian restaurants, 30 interactive cultural exhibits and 35 vendors selling Japanese products.

See Photos of the Japanese Street Festival

New Attractions for the 2009 Sakura Matsuri

• Sushi Master's Competition with some of the area's top chefs
  
• Chat with Maki Kaji, the man who started the worldwide Sudoku craze
  
• Washington Nationals mascots Screech and the Racing Presidents
  
• Musical performances by Japanese singer Ai Kawashima, six rock bands from Japan and taiko drummer Kaoru Watanabe
  
• Interactive Stage - learn how to bow, how to dance and sing Japanese style
  
• Fans of Japan's railroads will display a 300 square foot display of Japan's famous bullet trains and a Tokyo city scene

Date and Time

Saturday, April 4, 2009. The street festival begins immediately following the Parade of the National Cherry Blossom Festival and runs from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Street Festival Location

The Sakura Matsuri will be centered at 12th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW, stretching east to west on Pennsylvania Avenue NW, from 10th to 14th Street, and north to south on 12th Street NW from Pennsylvania to Constitution Avenues. See a map

Transportation

The best way to get to the festival is by public transportation. The closest Metro stations are Federal Triangle and Archives/Navy Memorial. For more information about getting to the festival, see Cherry Blossom Festival Transportation Guide

The National Cherry Blossom Festival is an annual two-week, city-wide event featuring more than 200 international cultural performances and over 90 other special events. See the schedule of the National Cherry Blossom events