Yokota celebrates cherry blossoms, hope with community

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. J.G. Buzanowski
  • 374th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan --  For many, spring is a time for hope and rebirth. In the Far East, it's also when the world famous cherry blossom trees are in full bloom.

As a gesture of the hope that comes with spring, officials at Yokota Air Base invited the community to come on base April 10 and view the base's collection of the pink- and white-flowered trees. More than 1,300 local nationals came to the open house.

The event comes on the heels of Operation Tomodachi, the relief efforts supported by Team Yokota in the wake of a 9.0-magnitude earthquake and tsunami March 11.

"In light of recent events, there's not a lot to celebrate, so if there's anything we can be joyful about, it's the partnership we have with our friends and neighbors here," said Col. Otto Feather, 374th Airlift Wing commander. "Our Japanese hosts treat us very well and take care of us all year long, so we wanted to welcome them on to Yokota and celebrate the season together."

Dozens of cherry blossom trees line McGuire Avenue, which runs right to the community. For Capt. Tania Bryan, the 374th AW Chief of Public Affairs, opening the base was a rare opportunity to share an event with the Japanese public.

"Today's event is a reminder that our walls aren't so thick that we can't enjoy the friendship we share with the community," she said. "These trees are a symbol of hope and renewal as we work together to rebuild Japan."

The significance of the cherry blossom tree dates back to 1912, when the government of Japan sent several of them as gifts to the nation under President William H. Taft. Those same trees still bloom every spring around the Potomac River tidal basin in downtown Washington, D.C.

But for Staff Sgt. Desiree Penn, those are nothing compared to seeing the trees in their native country.

"I've seen the trees in D.C., and these are so different," said Sergeant Penn, one of the volunteers at the event. "These trees smell so much better and they're really tall. It's a great way to see that winter is over and spring is here."

Traka Norman agreed with her. She and her husband drove all the way from Yokosuka, Japan, about 50 miles away.

"Like me, many Japanese have never been on Yokota before, so there's a lot of curiosity," she said. "Cherry blossoms are so beautiful, so it's very kind to let everyone else see them up close."

The three-hour event also featured music from a joint Army-Air Force brass quintet, as well as fundraisers for disaster relief. Donations will be used by the American Red Cross to help victims of the disasters.