40th Sakura Festival Will Celebrate Tuscaloosa’s Ties to Japan

A festival later this month will celebrate the special relationship Tuscaloosa shares with Japan and our sister city there, Narashino.

The 40th Annual Sakura Festival will take over Snow Hinton Park's Ellipse Pavillion the afternoon of March 28th.

From 11 a.m. until 2 p.m., the University of Alabama Capstone International Center will share Japanese culture and embrace the blooming of cherry blossoms with the coming of spring.

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In a press release, they said this year’s theme is “Mirai e no yakusoku” which translates to a community “Promise” to celebrate the kinship between Tuscaloosa and Narashino, a bond formed 40 years ago through Sister Cities International.

In 1986, the two cities were linked for mutual economic development and the sharing of cultures once at odds during World War II.

During the event, the Consul General of Japan in Atlanta will be in Tuscaloosa to perform a kagami biraki ceremony, a tradition hundreds of years old in which they break the top of a mini sake barrel filled with candy.

The Festival will also feature a traditional tea ceremony, a taiko drum performance, dancing and dress-ups including a cosplay contest and a place to try on authentic school uniforms.

The special partnership was formed 40 years ago, when Tuscaloosa welcomed a JVC plant to the city, bringing Japanese manufacturing here for the first time.

"Today, JVC and the Japan Program [at the University of Alabama] no longer exist in Tuscaloosa, however a new spring brings a chance for opportunities and growth in our community. Join the celebration and participate in a promise to grow together for more years to come," the organization said in their announcement.

Attendees can also learn more about organizations including Tuscaloosa Sister Cities International, the Japan-American Society of Alabama, the UA Japanese Language and Culture Society and KamiCon with Bama SoS Brigade.

Learn more at the Sakura Festival's website here.

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