The celebration is called Sakura Matsuri. Sakura means “cherry blossom” in Japanese, while Matsuri is the Japanese word for “festival.” It is the largest one-day Japanese culture event in the United States.

Thousands of people attended the 58th annual Sakura Matsuri Street Festival. They enjoyed the tastes, sounds and feel of Japan. Some visitors even arrived at the festival dressed up as Japanese anime characters. The event featured sellers of Japanese foods and products. It also had performers demonstrating Japanese arts.

The Japan-America Society of Washington D.C. puts on the event each year. The chance to taste special Japanese food is a big draw for visitors. The festival featured a Culinary Arts Pavilion. Here, different groups of Japanese cooks described the history of traditional foods and explained how to make them at home.

Aliqismet BADALOV,
“Khalq qazeti”