007 The Most Famous Cherry Blossoms Outside Of Japan

04/02/13 • 51 min

It’s officially hanami season and the cherry blossoms are in full bloom here in Washington, D.C. Each spring, over a million and a half people come to see the most famous cherry blossoms outside of Japan. In this episode, Nick speaks with Ambassador John Malott, president of the Japan-America Society of Washington, D.C., about this living symbol of U.S.-Japan friendship and its 101-year history.

To learn more about the history of Washington, D.C.’s cherry blossoms, check out this books:

The Cherry Blossom Festival: Sakura Celebration, by Ann McClellan

Eliza’s Cherry Trees: Japan’s Gift To America, by Andrea Griffing Zimmerman

Cherry Blossom Friends, by Corky Hay DeSimone

For more information about the National Cherry Blossom Festival and the Sakura Matsuri, visit nationalcherryblossomfestival.org and sakuramatsuri.org. The U.S. National Park Service website also has some great information about the cherry blossoms and their history.

Thanks to everyone following the podcast on Twitter @letstalkjapan and be sure to “like” the podcast on the recently created facebook page.

Happy hanami!

To learn more about the history of Washington, D.C.’s cherry blossoms, check out this books:

The Cherry Blossom Festival: Sakura Celebration, by Ann McClellan

Eliza’s Cherry Trees: Japan’s Gift To America, by Andrea Griffing Zimmerman

Cherry Blossom Friends, by Corky Hay DeSimone

Thanks to everyone following the podcast on Twitter @letstalkjapan and be sure to “like” the podcast on the recently created facebook page.

Happy hanami!

Previous Episode

006 Banzai Babe Ruth Author Robert K. Fitts

In this episode, Nick speaks with baseball historian and author Robert K. Fitts about his most recent book, Banzai Babe Ruth: Baseball, Espionage, & Assassination During the 1934 Tour of Japan.

While its been referred to as “One of the greatest road trips in sports history,” the 1934 tour was about much more than the game of baseball. Diplomats on both sides of the Pacific hoped that a visit by Babe Ruth and company could help avert war between the United States and Japan. Instead, the All-American’s tour coincided with an attempted coup that could have been disastrous for the players and the two countries if it had succeeded.

This is a well-written and fast-paced account of not only larger than life personalities but also inspirational and, sometimes tragic, lesser known characters whose stories Fitts has thankfully helped preserve.

To purchase Banzai Babe Ruth and support the Let’s Talk Japan Podcast, use these affiliate links: Hardcopy, Paperback, Kindle, Audible

Click HERE to sign up for a free 30-day audible.com membership, which includes a free download of the book.

Other great books by Rob Fitts include:

Wally Yonamine: The Man Who Changed Japanese Baseball: Hardcopy, Paperback, Kindle
Remembering Japanese Baseball: An Oral History Of The Game: Paperback

To learn more about Japanese baseball, I also recommend these books:

You Gotta Have Wa, by Robert Whiting: Paperback
The Samurai Way of Baseball: The Impact of Ichiro and the New Wave from Japan, by Robert Whiting: Paperback
Sayonara Home Run!: The Art of the Japanese Baseball Card: Paperback

Next Episode

008 The Art Of Japanese Bonsai

In this episode, Nick speaks with Aaron Packard, assistant curator of the National Bonsai and Penjing Museum, which is located within the National Arboretum in Washington, D.C. Together they discuss:

The history of bonsai
How Aaron became interested in this art form and was able to make it a full-time career
The contents of the National Arboretum’s bonsai and penjing collection
The rewards and pressure that can come from working with bonsai
Advice for anyone interested in starting a bonsai collection

Below are photographs of the four trees from the museum’s collection that Nick and Arron discuss:

Resources for anyone interested in learning more about bonsai: