Kanzami Yosakoi Dance Coalition at the 2019 Grand Parade at Civic Center Plaza

Kazanami: A Blossoming Community of Yosakoi Dance

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…

Reflections of Tohoku Preview

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…

Sapporo Beer Garden Committee

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…

Pink & Blue Sakura with Gold Kizuna Kanji

Meet the Calligraphy Artist: Kawahatsu Sensei

Over the past several months, designer Selena Joe and the Festival’s poster committee explored different designs to paint a beautiful art piece, and an important element was the kanji. Selena experimented with freedrawing the kanji and utilizing Japanese fonts, but we collectively wanted to capture the full essence of a professionally written kanji. Recalling our…

Pink & Blue Sakura with Gold Kizuna Kanji

Meet the Artist: Selena Joe, 2021 Poster Designer

Selena Joe designed the Northern California Cherry Blossom Festival poster and banner with the 2021 theme, 絆 Kizuna – Strength through Bonds of Community and Friendship. She recently graduated from Ringling College with a B.F.A. in Motion Design, and we are grateful for Greg Viloria, 2021 Festival Co-Chair, for introducing this artist to our team.…

Give + Gift Fundraiser Graphic

Support Give & Gift Fundraiser in Japantown

The Northern California Cherry Blossom Festival presents the Give & Gift fundraiser, an opportunity to shop in Japantown while giving back to small businesses and supporting our Festival at the same time. Pick up gift certificates for select retailers at discounted prices, so you can stretch your dollar further while purchasing gifts for your family,…

The 54th NCCBF Theme

On behalf of the Northern California Cherry Blossom Festival (NCCBF) Executive Committee, we are excited to announce the dates for our 54th annual event. The Festival will be held virtually between the hours of 3:00 P.M. and 5:00 P.M. PDT, on April 10th, 11th, 17th, and 18th, 2021. We will be streaming many of the…

Committee Member Spotlight: Queen Program Tri-Chairs

For over 50 years, the Northern California Cherry Blossom Festival Queen Program has been dedicated to developing young women of Japanese descent to become future community leaders. One of the highlights of our Festival is Queen Program Night, where candidates showcase their speech, interview, and creative expression, and it takes a tremendous amount of time…

Committee Member Spotlight: ClarizeYale

If you participated in the NCCBF Scavenger Hunt in the last two to three years, it’s very likely that you were greeted by ClarizeYale’s smile at the second floor entrance of the Japanese Cultural and Community Center of Northern California (JCCCNC/the Center).  ClarizeYale is a first-generation Filipina-American artist and illustrator, born and raised in San…

Committee Member Spotlight: Dave Dunham

The Japanese Cultural and Community Center of Northern California (JCCCNC/the Center), in San Francisco Japantown is a unique indoor Festival venue that provides visitors a “one-stop-shop” experience of cultural presentations and performances. This quiet, focused venue allows for various traditional and folk music, dance, and cultural art groups to share their culture and talents. Festival…