Cherry Blossom tree planting ceremony at Blair celebrates intercultural bonds

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Photo: SAC decorations for 2024 cherry blossom festival.

SAC decorations for 2024 cherry blossom festival. Photo courtesy of Thea Womack.

The Blair Student Activity Center (SAC) came alive with pink coats, headbands, and delicate paper flowers on Tuesday afternoon as students, staff, and community members gathered for a special tree planting ceremony. The event commemorated the planting of six cherry blossom trees on Blair grounds, a gift made possible through a partnership between All Nippon Airways (ANA) and the National Cherry Blossom Festival. Blair became the second Montgomery County Public School, following Walt Whitman High School, to participate in this cultural exchange initiative that helps connect our community to the rich traditions of Japan.

The ceremony began with a warm welcome from Blair Japanese language teacher Yoko Zoll. Throughout her time at Blair, Zoll has been instrumental in organizing cultural events – this occasion marked yet another milestone in her dedication to fostering intercultural understanding.  

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Photo: Representatives from ANA, the National Cherry Blossom Festival, MCPS, and Blair staff after the ceremony.

Representatives from ANA, the National Cherry Blossom Festival, MCPS, and Blair staff after the ceremony. Photo courtesy of Thea Womack.

Following Zoll’s introduction, representatives from ANA and the National Cherry Blossom Festival spoke about the deep cultural and historical significance of cherry blossoms. Kazue Smith, a General Manager of ANA, described them as a living symbol of a century of unity between Japan and the United States. Cherry blossom trees were first brought to the U.S. in 1912, as a gift from Tokyo to Washington D.C. Although these first trees were planted around the Tidal Basin, ANA has donated and planted over 150 such trees in the greater Washington D.C. area in recent years. 

Diana Mayhew, President of the National Cherry Blossom Festival, then spoke about the annual festivities in Washington D.C. and the surrounding area, held to celebrate the thousands of trees that spread a cover of white blossoms with a soft pink hue representing the renewal of the friendship between the two countries.

Blair Principal Kevin Yates also addressed the crowd, expressing gratitude to ANA and the National Cherry Blossom Festival for their support. He also thanked Montgomery County Board of Education members Julie Yang and Lynne Harris for attending and representing the school district’s backing of this intercultural initiative.

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Photo: Blair staff, students, and other attendees of the cherry blossom tree planting ceremony.

Blair staff, students, and other attendees of the cherry blossom tree planting ceremony. Photo courtesy of Thea Womack.

Celebrating the occasion, Blair students performed the traditional Japanese folk song “Sakura, Sakura.” Accompanied by a string quintet, their voices filled the SAC with the evocative melody describing the beauty of cherry blossoms in full bloom. The performance captured the ceremony’s central theme of cultural exchange while allowing the students to express their appreciation of these symbolic trees.

The event concluded with photo opportunities featuring attendees and ceremonial pink shovels, a symbolic gesture marking the planting of the cherry trees. Although the trees were planted a week earlier, the ceremony brought together all those involved in making this event possible to celebrate Japanese culture. “I think culture and language are infused,” says Zoll. “By studying Japanese, I want students to be more aware of what’s going on in the Eastern world as well.” 

Zoll’s philosophy, to integrate culture and language for a holistic class, is one that resonates with her students as well. “The event was a beautiful way to bring everyone together,” said sophomore Sky Yuzuki, who took part in the musical performance earlier. “As a Japanese-American [student], it was amazing to see my cultural background recognized and celebrated at Blair.”