Formerly, and commonly, known as the San Francisco or
Japantown Cherry Blossom festival, this celebration in
San Francisco's
Nihonmachi bears little resemblence to
hanami in
Japan. However, it's a very good time to visit Nihonmachi, as in addition to the usual trendy-girl-infested mall-shopping, there's also a
street fair, sales, and performances. The street fair features vendors selling art, jewelry, and other items--many of which are indeed very cool yet hardly related to anything Japanese at all. There's also a food area, with the usual
Thai and
hot dog stands, but better are the neat Japanese offerings such as
mochi, sweet hot
dorayaki, and coal-baked Japanese potatoes. The performances include
taiko and
martial arts in the
Japantown Peace Plaza, and contemporary bands in the streets. Inside the
Radisson Miyako there are more traditional performances including
koto ensembles,
buyo (
classical Japanese dance),
chanoyu (
tea ceremony),
karuta (
card game based on the
Hyakunin Isshu), and staggering exhibits of paper dolls, embroidery, and so on. For me, this was the best part of the festival.
The festival usually encompasses two weekends in April, with the Grand Parade on the first Sunday. Despite the lack of
sakura, the entire event is highly recommended. Take the 38 or 38 L from Geary Street or the
Transbay Terminal.