2017 Cherry Blossom Festival (8 April 2017)

April 18, 2017

 

On 8 April, the annual Cherry Blossom Festival took place in Amstelveen, co-organized by Amsterdam InBusiness, the Dutch and Japanese Trade Federation (Dujat), the Japan Women’s Club (JWC), the Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry in the Netherlands (JCC), and the Embassy of Japan.

In the large tent set up in the Cherry Blossom Park, the Mayor of Amstelveen Ms. Van ‘t Veld and Ambassador Inomata held speeches after being invited onto the stage by Mr. Mantel, the chairman of Dujat and the event’s master of ceremony. Following the speeches, Mayor of Almere Mr. Weerwind, Deputy Mayor of Haarlemmermeer Mr. Elzakalai, Deputy Mayor of Amstelveen Ms. Veeningen, Deputy Mayor of Amstelveen Mr. Brandes, Managing director of Dujat Mrs. De Kemp, and Judge Owada from the International Court of Justice came together on stage for a toast proposed by Mr. Sano, the vice-president of the JCC.

After the opening ceremony, Mayor Van’t Veld and Ambassador Inomata offered flowers and a moment of silence at the memorial monument near the venue, which is dedicated to the victims of the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake.

There were performances on stage by an energetic Taiko drum group, a Japanese choir and a yosakoi group that danced to the Japanese folk song “Soran Bushi”. The festival was also open to the general public from 15:00 onwards. There were various stands where visitors could enjoy Japanese food (takoyaki, taiyaki, sushi, Japanese tea and more) and culture (ikebana, origami, Go and Aikido), among other things.

You can find more information in Dutch on the website of Amstelveen:
https://www.amstelveen.nl/web/Nieuwsoverzicht/Geslaagd-Cherry-Blossomfestival.htm