2023 Marks the 35th year of the Northern California Cherry Blossom Community Service Scholarship. The program is for graduating seniors of Japanese descent. Administered by the SF Nikkei Lions, the program awards two $2,500 scholarships to deserving high school seniors going to college. This year’s recipients – Elyse Fujii and Monet Gagnon – have shown…
The Northern California Cherry Blossom Festival is honored to announce Kina Grannis as our 2023 Grand Marshal. There will be opportunities to see her in the Grand Parade, experience her performance at the George Yamasaki, Jr. stage (Peace Plaza), and meet her at the Be The Match booth (Peace Plaza Promenade) on Sunday, April 16,…
For the past 36 years, the Northern California Cherry Blossom Festival has thanked seniors in the local Japanese American community for their volunteer services. Each year, honorees are nominated by local community organizations. We are inspired by their stories and honor these community heroes. NORIKO KUSUMOTONominated by the San Mateo Japanese American Community Center (SMJACC)…
Sumofish artist and creator, Brandt Fuse, grew up in Hawaii with a love of fishing and anything ocean related. Studying abroad in Japan and working summers at Iconic t-shirt brand Cane Haul Road provided inspiration and life direction. Brandt relocated to the Bay Area in 1998, and after working at Osaki Design in Berkeley went…
Welcome everyone, and thank you for attending the 56th Annual Northern California Cherry Blossom Festival. It’s exciting to welcome everyone back again to our Festival for another year in person. Being able to bring together not only our community but all those who want to celebrate Japanese American and Japanese Culture with us is such…
The NCCBF Executive Committee writes this tribute for Shogo Yamada, our dear friend and supporter for many years, who passed away last March. Many festivalgoers remember Yamada-san for leading his spirited Japanese folk music group, YamaSho Kai, or dancing along to Awa Odori with San Francisco Awakko-Ren at the Northern California Cherry Blossom Festival and…
The 54th annual Northern California Cherry Blossom Festival’s theme is Kizuna – Strength through Bonds of Community and Friendship. The 2021 Festival gave us the opportunity to celebrate the kizuna spirit with our Festival partners, cultural performers and exhibitors, nonprofit organizations, and community and corporate supporters. In lieu of the Grand Parade, the Festival’s Executive…
I’m Daniel Rolandi, Director of Ito Yosakoi, which is based in San Francisco Japantown, and I’m happy to write this blog post to share Kazanami’s history with the Northern California Cherry Blossom Festival and our excitement to participate in the 2021 Festival. Since 2017, Ito Yosakoi (糸よさこい) has performed yosakoi, an energetic dance style from…
We premiered Reflections of Tohoku as our 2021 Festival’s short documentary film. The 54th annual Northern California Cherry Blossom Festival will commemorate the 10 year anniversary of the Tohoku Earthquake with our 2021 Festival theme, Kizuna – Strength through Bonds of Community and Friendship. We embarked on a socially distanced documentary project over the past…
April 7th is National Beer Day, and we are pleased to share reflections and supportive messages from key members of our Sapporo Beer Garden Committee! Sapporo Beer Garden serves thousands of visitors every year, operating multiple tents in the Food Bazaar and near the Japantown Peace Plaza and Webster Street Stage. We are grateful for…
