Blue Note Announces Japan-US Cherry Blossom Centennial Performances

The year 2012 marks the centennial anniversary of the gift of the cherry blossom trees from Japan to the United States. The cherry blossom trees, including some of the original ones from 1912, bloom beautifully every spring at the Tidal Basin along the Potomac River in Washington D.C.

A series of events celebrating this centennial are being organized to promote cultural and people-to-people exchanges, thereby strengthening one of the main pillars of the Japan-U.S. alliance. Blue Note Entertainment Group, who will re-open the newly restored Howard Theatre in Washington, D.C. in mid-April, will celebrate the Cherry Blossom Centennial in New York with select shows at the Blue Note, BB King Blues Club and Highline Ballroom. The performances will highlight the mutual love and respect for jazz that both nations hold.  Announced artists include Hiromi, Keiko Matsui, Hedeki Togi, Morning Musuko and more!

Blue Note: 131 W. 3^rd St. New York, NY 10012

East Meets West Brunch; March – May, 2012

YOSHIAKI MASUO
March 11, 2012 ~ Sets @ 12:30pm & 2:30pm ~ $24.50 (meal, show, drink)

TAKUYA KURODA
March 25, 2012 ~ Sets @ 12:30pm & 2:30pm ~ $24.50 (meal, show, drink)

SHOKO & FRIENDS

April 8, 2012 ~ Sets @ 12:30pm & 2:30pm ~ $24.50 (meal, show, drink)

MASAMI ISHIKAWA

April 22, 2012 ~ Sets @ 12:30pm & 2:30pm ~ $24.50 (meal, show, drink)

KYOKO OYOBE

April 29, 2012 ~ Sets @ 12:30pm & 2:30pm ~ $24.50 (meal, show, drink)

NORIKO UEDA JAZZ ORCHESTRA

May 13, 2012 ~ Sets @ 12:30pm & 2:30pm ~ $24.50 (meal, show, drink)

Late Night Groove Series; April, 2012

MORNING MUSUKO – The World’s Only J-Pop Big Band
April 14, 2012 ~ Set @ 12:30am ~ $10 @ table / $10 @ bar

B.B. King Blues Club: 237 W. 42^nd St. New York, NY 10036

HIROMI

April 10, 2012 ~ Sets @ 8pm & 10:30pm ~ $30 advance / $35 Day Of Show

KEIKO MATSUI

April 24, 2012 ~ Sets @ 8pm & 10:30pm ~ $26 advance / $30 Day Of Show

Highline Ballroom: 431 W. 16^th St. New York, NY 10011

HIDEKI TOGI with IWAO FURUSAWA
March 28, 2012 ~ Set @ 8pm ~ $30 Ticket, $50 VIP Reserved Seating
*100% of the proceeds from ticket sales for this show will go directly toward benefitting the victims of the earthquake and tsunami that hit near Sendai through the JCC Fund's 2011 Northeastern Japan Earthquake Relief Fund.

ABOUT THE CHERRY BLOSSOM CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION
The gift of cherry blossom trees to the U.S. was made possible by the contribution of many people, including then U.S. First Lady Helen Taft, journalist and world traveler Eliza Scidmore, the renowned Japanese chemist Dr. Jokichi Takamine, famous for his pioneering research on Adrenaline and Takadiastase, and Tokyo Mayor Yukio Ozaki. In 1909, Mayor Ozaki made a gift of 2,000 cherry blossom trees to Washington D.C. as a token of friendship between Japan and the United States. However, all of those trees had to be destroyed because they were found to be infested with harmful insects. In 1912, another 3,000 cherry blossom trees were presented to the United States, and the first of these were planted at the Tidal Basin by First Lady Taft and Viscountess Chinda, wife of the Japanese Ambassador Chinda, in a ceremony on March 27, 1912. Many other individuals and organizations dedicated to deepening the ties of friendship between Japan and the United States played a part in the presentation of this historic gift.

The cherry blossom trees are today a symbol of the friendship and many exchanges between the two countries. Events related to the Japan-U.S. Cherry Blossom Centennial will be held mainly in Washington D.C. Please check the following websites for further details.

A series of events celebrating this centennial are being organized to promote cultural and people-to-people exchanges, thereby strengthening one of the main pillars of the Japan-U.S. alliance. Through these events, people from Japan and the United States will have the opportunity to reflect on the legacy of exchanges and the importance of relations between the two countries. This initiative will also lay a solid foundation for another of 100 years of Japan-U.S. friendship. For more information, visit the Centennial Celebration Website.