YOKOTA AIR BASE, JAPAN --
Team Yokota is hosting a Sakura Spring Festival April 2, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on McGuire Ave. (East side), under the blooming cherry blossoms.
The festival is open to on-base and off-base residents, opening the base to Yokota's neighbors and Japanese friends who do not have daily access to the base. The event will include Japanese and American food, entertainment and an array of other activities.
"Words could never describe the sight of the trees but I can tell you it's worth the short trip to the East side of Yokota," said Col. Douglas DeLaMater, 374th Airlift Wing commander. "Don't forget your camera!"
Aside from the attraction of the trees, food vendors will line the streets offering ice cream, crepes and more, including local vendors and booths from the Enlisted Club and Tama Hills. Live performances are also scheduled: the USAF Band of the Pacific-Asia, Taiko drummers, Yokota Dance Company, Yosakoi-Soran Dance Group and belly dancers. Children oriented activities include bouncy castles, games, juggling, face painters and a balloon artist.
The practice of enjoying "sakura," or cherry blossom trees, is a time-honored Japanese tradition called "hanami.
"Hanami is an fundamental part of Japanese life," DeLaMater said. "The momentary beauty of the sakura flower makes me appreciate how precious life is, and how important we all are."
In Japan, cherry blossom viewers rise early to find the best spot under a tree where they can enjoy a hanami picnic of packed food and sake. Residents and visitors of Yokota have the opportunity to enjoy 45-year-old trees right on base.
According to Maj. Korinne Takeyama, 374th Civil Engineer Squadron operations chief and festival lead, the 374 CES maintains the precious trees, helping them grow and bloom optimally. Festival participants are also allowed to come early and claim a spot under the trees, she explained.
"We want to open up Yokota's doors a few times a year," Takeyama said. "We love to spend time with our neighbors from outside the gate. Also, the blossoms on McGuire Avenue are beautiful and we want to give people the opportunity to see that."
Perhaps Takeyama's words were spoken in the same spirit that that the Japanese government showed when they planted the trees in the 1970s as a sign of friendship. Participants of the Spring Festival are invited to bring a picnic blanket and enjoy the friendship still growing here 45 years later.