Welcome to Seattle Center
SEATTLE, WA— Celebrate Japanese art, culture, and community at the Seattle Cherry Blossom & Japanese Cultural Festival, returning to Seattle Center on Friday, April 10 through Sunday, April 12, from 11 a.m.–5 p.m. each day as part of Seattle Center Festál. This free annual festival marks its 50th anniversary in 2026, honoring five decades of cultural exchange, community connection, and shared celebration between Seattle and Japan.
This year’s theme, “Sakura Monogatari - Stories Beneath the Blossoms,” highlights the rich history of the festival since its founding in 1976 while looking ahead to the next 50 years.
Throughout the weekend, festivalgoers can experience dynamic performances and demonstrations including taiko drumming, martial arts, traditional music, and cultural presentations. Featured performers include groups such as Seattle Miyagi-Kai, Ryushin Creative Dance Group, Hoshu Dojo, One World Taiko, Seattle Seido Karate, Seattle Kokon Taiko, Northwest Taiko, Inochi Taiko, Dekoboko Taiko, Cherry Dragon, and the Japan Creative Arts/School of Taiko , among many others representing a wide range of traditional and contemporary Japanese performing arts.
One of the weekend’s major highlights is the Rain City Open, a sumo wrestling tournament hosted by Rain City Sumo beginning at 9 a.m. on Saturday morning in the Exhibition Hall. The event will feature approximately 60 competitors from across the United States, including both men’s and women’s divisions, and will also be livestreamed for audiences unable to attend in person.
Visitors will also have the rare opportunity to learn directly from artists traveling from Okinawa, Japan. Members of the Asato family from Asato Bingata Studio will lead hands-on workshops demonstrating bingata, a traditional Okinawan textile dyeing technique known for its vibrant colors and intricate patterns. Participants can create and take home their own dyed items such as small bags or coasters.
In addition to performances and workshops, attendees can explore booths from cultural organizations, community groups, artists, and local businesses including the Seattle Go Center, Hyogo Business & Cultural Center, Haiku Northwest, the Kubota Garden Foundation, the Seattle Flying Dragon Boat Club, Seattle Abacus School, Sakura Sweets, and many more.
“Over the past 50 years, the Seattle Cherry Blossom & Japanese Cultural Festival has played a critical role in shaping the legacy of friendship between the Seattle area and Japan,” said Karen Yoshitomi, Seattle Cherry Blossom & Japanese Cultural Festival committee chair. “Now more than ever, the festival is about celebrating the art and culture of Japan and fostering positive relationships among all people who have an affinity for Japanese culture. The festival will include more than 35 exhibitors and 25 performances and hands-on activities, as well as an exhibit with over 100 art pieces from more than 20 local artists, so there will be something for everyone to enjoy.”
Seattle Cherry Blossom & Japanese Cultural Festival is part of Seattle Center Festál, a year-round series of 25 free cultural festivals which embrace the region’s diversity and cultivate a deeper understanding of the cultures which contribute to the vibrancy of Seattle and the Pacific Northwest.
About Seattle Cherry Blossom & Japanese Cultural Festival History
The Seattle Cherry Blossom & Japanese Cultural Festival was initiated on May 8, 1976, when Japan’s former Prime Minister, Takeo Miki, gifted 1,000 cherry trees to Seattle in commemoration of America’s bicentennial and the long friendship between the people of Japan and Washington state. Information on the festival is available at seattlecherryblossomfestival.org and www.seattlecenter.com, as well as on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
About Seattle Center Festál
Seattle Center Festál is a unique public program series of 25 free cultural festivals, each offering its own celebration of heritage and identity. These community-produced events provide a range of engaging programs and activities to cultivate a deeper understanding of our region’s diversity through immersive performances, food, arts, and educational programming. Collectively, the festivals welcome approximately 400,000 visits annually, generate an estimated $30 million in economic activity, support more than 250 jobs, and engage thousands of volunteers, artists, and small business vendors.
Seattle Center Festál is presented in partnership between Seattle Center and 25 community-based organizations, with support from the City of Seattle, Seattle Center Foundation, and 4Culture's Sustained Support and Free/Reduced Access programs. Additional support for Festál 2026 is provided by 2025 charitable donations from the Snoqualmie Tribe, and ArtsFund's Community Accelerator Grant funded by Allen Family Philanthropies.
About Seattle Center — The Cultural Heart of the Pacific Northwest
Seattle Center is a 74-acre civic, arts, and cultural gathering place in the heart of Seattle and home to more than 30 partner organizations, including Climate Pledge Arena, KEXP, MOPOP, Pacific Northwest Ballet, Seattle Opera, Pacific Science Center, SIFF, and many others. Anchored by world-class attractions, historic venues, public art, and a dynamic calendar of free and affordable events centered around the iconic International Fountain, Seattle Center serves residents and visitors of all ages year-round.
As a department of the City of Seattle and anchor of the Uptown Arts and Cultural District, Seattle Center is an inclusive destination where community comes together through arts, culture, and public life, serving residents from across Seattle and the Puget Sound region alongside visitors from around the world. In partnership with Friends of Waterfront Seattle, Seattle Center also manages the City’s new Waterfront Park, providing cultural programming, operations, and civic care along Seattle’s downtown waterfront.
Over the past three years, Seattle Center has welcomed 11 to 12 million visits annually, with the majority of visits coming from the Seattle and Puget Sound region and is projected to reach 12.5 to 13.5 million visits in 2026. This activity generates more than $1 billion in visitor spending, contributes more than $2 billion in regional economic impact, and supports more than 18,600 jobs.
With the support of our Official Partners — Alaska Airlines, The Climate Pledge, Coors Light, Pepsi, Symetra, T-Mobile, and WaFd Bank — Seattle Center is the #1 most-visited arts and cultural destination in the Pacific Northwest.
www.seattlecenter.com
Contact
Madison Miller 425-246-5468 | madison@whyforgood.com
