Nashville Cherry Blossom Festival celebrates Japan

A few thousand people sampled the mochi ice cream, ramen and yes, funnel cakes, at Nashville's sixth annual Cherry Blossom Festival Saturday.

The gorgeous weather was a backdrop for the celebration of spring and friendship between Japan and the United States.

"It's a great way to celebrate our friendship and the importance of the relationship between our two countries," said Mayor Karl Dean before leading a 2.5 mile walk with the Consul General of Japan in Nashville, Motohiko Kato.

"Japan is thousands of miles away but it feels a lot closer today and that's a great thing for our city,' he said.

"Many, many people worked hard to make this happen with wonderful support from city of Nashville," said Kato. "Let's celebrate the arrival of spring together.'

The walk began and ended at Public Square, where the festival with more than 60 vendors and about 30 performances continues until 4 p.m. Follow it on Twitter @NashvilleCBF.

This year, more than 600 Japanese Cherry Blossom trees are to be planted throughout Nashville parks, public areas and neighborhoods.

"Tennessee has 180 Japanese companies here," said Betsy Wedekind, president of the Tsuru-Hendersonville Friendship Committee. "And many here are related to those companies and are part of our community. This helps us learn about their culture and come together."

Cherry blossoms festivals are celebrated across the country. The trees have been a symbol of U.S.-Japan friendship since the Mayor of Tokyo donated 3,000 cherry trees to Washington, D.C., in 1912.

Reach Vicky Travis at 615-881-7216 or on Twitter @VTravis1.