Japan gives Washington 250 cherry trees as replacements
Japan will donate 250 cherry trees to the United States to replace the more than 100 that will be uprooted during construction work around the Tidal Basin in Washington, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said on Wednesday.
The gift honors the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, which the United States will celebrate in 2026, Kishida said at a White House ceremony to welcome a state visit.
President Biden thanked Mr. Kishida for the cherry trees, which have become a symbol of the relationship between the United States and its former ally, as well as a popular tourist attraction in the spring. The mayor of Tokyo gave Washington 3,000 of these trees, which are not native to the United States, in 1912.
“Like our friendship, these trees are timeless, inspiring and thriving,” Biden said.
Biden said that after Kishida landed in the United States on Tuesday, both leaders and first lady Jill Biden walked the White House grounds to admire several cherry trees, including a pair that were part of the new gift and one that the Dr. Biden and Yuko Kishida, Mr. Kishida’s wife, had planted together last year as a sign of friendship between nations. The president said other trees would be planted near the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial.
“These Japanese-born cherry trees have been heralding the arrival of spring in the city every year for more than 110 years,” Mr. Kishida said.
He noted that the Somei Yoshino variety had a lifespan of about 60 years in Washington, but that the original trees had thrived for more than 100 years under the city’s care.
“Just as local residents have cherished and protected these cherry trees, the relationship between Japan and the United States has been supported and nurtured by many people who love their respective countries,” Mr. Kishida said.
The 140 trees Washington will lose this year will be removed to make room for new, higher levees around the Tidal Basin to protect the Jefferson Memorial. The current seawalls were built in the 19th century and have sunk too low to be effective against tsunamis and storm surges.
Kishida is in Washington for a three-day state visit that will include a state dinner Wednesday night and a meeting with Biden and Philippine President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Thursday. His visit occurs in the middle of spring in Washington and in the middle of the National Cherry Blossom Festival, which has been celebrated since 1935 to commemorate the original gift.
“Let me finish this,” said Biden, wearing a pair of aviator sunglasses in the bright sun. “It’s spring in Washington. The sun is shining. And every spring, cherry trees bloom throughout this city thanks to a gift from Japan of 3,000 cherry trees more than a century ago.”