Symbol of Friendship: The Cherry Blossom Tree

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By Honesti Miles

Cherry blossom trees are an important gift for many people from all across the states and the world to enjoy the beauty of, but cherry blossoms are more than just a beauty. They are a great symbol of friendship between the United States and Japan. In my opinion, cherry blossoms are a great show of growth from the tensions of the U.S. and Japan into their blooming friendship. Even after a brutal war. Before that, we need to know the story behind the trees. Who and what helped to bring these here? 


This is part I of the story.

Cherry blossoms were first introduced by Eliza Scidmore. Eliza was a writer and photographer who was also the first woman on the Board of Directors for the National Geographic Society. She had been to Japan before and had developed a big interest in the cherry blossom trees. Amazed by these trees, Eliza proposed the idea to the President and every Superintendent of the Office of Public Buildings and Grounds over two decades to get the trees into D.C. After the many denied proposals, she turned her efforts into gaining traction with the trees. Eliza went on to host a cherry blossom viewing party in 1905. By doing this, it happened to catch the eye of botanist David Fairchild.  

Though Eliza was the first to actively make an impact to get cherry blossoms to the U.S., David Fairchild played a very key role in the story of the cherry blossoms. Fairchild was a pioneering American botanist and plant explorer who also grew a liking to these trees. The following year after Scidmore’s party, in 1906, Fairchild did a test of planting cherry blossoms to see their ability to survive in other soil, leading to a success. He would later go on to promote the trees and later in 1907 ordered 300 trees. Afterwards, in 1908, he would share his plans at the Franklin School in downtown D.C. He would go to give a speech at the school on Arbor Day and gifted seeds to the children to have them plant in their school yards and at Franklin Park with Mrs. Scidmore in attendance. 

After the many successes of getting cherry blossoms around D.C., in 1909, Eliza decided to try to raise money to purchase and donate the trees to the city, proposing her idea to First Lady Helen Taft. Mrs. Taft had lived in Japan before and had a fondness of the idea and decided to plant them along the “speedway” near the Potomac River instead. The day after, Japanese chemist Dr. Jokichi Takamine heard of Mrs. Taft’s idea and went to help with a donation of two thousand trees with the help and approval of the Mayor of Tokyo, Yukio Ozaki.

After months of shipment, the cherry trees had finally arrived on January 6, 1910. Sadly, on January 19, after a deep inspection, the trees were deemed to be infested and diseased and it was concluded they needed to be burned to protect the other trees around. Despite this unfortunate act, after the Secretary of State delivered the news to the Japanese ambassador, Mayor Ozaki and others decided to make another donation of specially selected trees and also increased the amount to 3,020! This made me feel as though they could understand and realize how and why they made this decision and not feel offended for their gift being thrown away.

After that, the trees were then planted around the Tidal Basin with the remaining going to East Potomac Park. The first few trees were planted with a ceremony with Mrs. Taft and Viscountess Chinda, wife of the Japanese Ambassador.


Only a while after the trees were mature, many photographers and artists all around were drawn to the trees. Quickly, after the news of the trees spread, it became a very popular place for people all across America to come witness the gorgeous pink hues across the trees with people of all cultures and backgrounds coming to celebrate the blossoms. In 1915, President William Howard Taft (Helen Taft’s husband) sent a gift of dogwood trees to Japan in appreciation of the generous gift of cherry blossoms to D.C..From the impact of the trees, I feel that this shows the way that the friendship of the U.S. and Japan grew bigger and improved from gift giving between them. 

A Culture Curated Through Cardboard and Cloth

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By Zaevior Byrd-Watson

When you’re in a conversation about architecture, your brain immediately goes to metals, stones, or other generic foundation materials. Nobody expects to hear that someone is using paper tubes and cardboard to create living spaces. Going to the Japan Information and Culture Center (JICC) on July 10 was very eye opening. The speaker during the first part of our program was Gabrielle Headly, who we had met earlier in the program, and who now guided us through the exhibit and shared the history behind Shigeru Ban and his peculiar building ideas.

Ban’s style of architecture was an interesting one, beginning back in 1986 with experimentation, and humanitarian aid beginning in 1995. During that time, he worked on his first major project: designing low cost, easy to build houses out of paper tubes for Japanese disaster victims following the Kobe, Japan earthquake. These homes, despite being built of a widely known fragile material, were very sturdy, and allowed for sustainable living.


Ban’s style is a very intriguing one to me, because who thought one man could put together a whole organization solely for disaster aid, let alone with paper and cardboard?? Shigeru Ban is a huge inspiration for me to innovate and be more creative with my works, and I’d love to research more about him.

Something I’d like to briefly talk about is his Paper Partition System, used in Noto, Japan following their earthquake in 2024. The Paper Partition System provided privacy and homes for families who were victims of the earthquake. These systems were deployed all over workplaces, gyms, and community centers, allowing many people to be guaranteed to have a safe place to live while dealing with their circumstances.


Being an extension of Ban’s already innovative paper log houses, the PPS was already majorly impressive, garnering respect from not only the citizens of Japan, but many humanitarian aid organizations as well. Shigeru Ban was and still is an impressive architect, and his influence is still around today, you just have to look for it.

Thank you for reading my blog post,

じゃあまた (˶>⩊<˶), Zaevior

Tanabata Festival

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By Liam Truesdale

On Thursday evening, July 9th, we went to a Tanabata Festival, also called the Star Festival, as part of an extended workday. The Tanabata Festival actually originates from the Chinese Qixi Festival. Tanabata means “evening of the seventh,” and celebrates the meeting of the deities Orihime and Hikoboshi. Tanabata is celebrated by writing a wish on a piece of paper called tanzuku and hanging it on bamboo. 

In DC, the Tanabata Festival, sponsored by the Japan America Society of Washington DC, was held at the Hillwood Estate near Rock Creek Park. There were a few activities like writing wishes and making lanterns. However, the part I enjoyed the most were the gardens, which were just a part of the estate. The nicest part was the section inspired by Japanese gardens. It was fairly small, but very beautiful. My favorite part were the paths that went through the water. 


In Japanese culture, these bridges have a deeper meaning, they represent a transformation. In Shinto mythology, bridges connect our world to the gods and spirits. The reason why they’re so arched is so evil spirits cannot cross over them, because evil spirits are believed to travel in straight lines only.

It felt amazing going through the gardens after walking around by the monuments all day, cleansing even. I had a headache when we arrived at the Tanabata Festival; after I went through the gardens it was completely gone. It had just stopped raining when we got there, so it started to get foggy. The second time I went through the gardens, the fog was at its thickest, and the clouds had parted just enough for the sun to shine through. We could see the rays of light shining through the trees, the only word I could use to describe it was mystical.



One Day, One Attack

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By Blessing Maya

One day, one attack
Changed the lives of many people.
Many stories began, and many dreams came to an end.
Many lives were lost. Many did not know why.
Many died. Many fought for what was right.
Many could not fight.

I would send you many paintings,
The day you would no longer see me as an enemy.
I would place flowers at your door,
The day you would no longer see me as an enemy.

The children did not know they were trapped,
Living inside invisible prisons.
Born here, yet treated as strangers in their own land.
Japanese by heritage, American by birth,
Misunderstood, yet they stood strong.

Don’t hurt your own family
Just because their roots come from another tree.
Their roots are here too,
Just like yours and mine.

From the ashes of war, a new dawn rises.
Two nations, once divided, grow closer.
Cherry blossoms bloom beside the Tidal Basin,
As symbols of peace, friendship, and hope.

Together we stand across the ocean wide,
In friendship and hope, side by side.

A Visit from Gabrielle Headly

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By Pippa Byron

Last week, Gabrielle Headly, an employee at the Japanese Embassy’s Japan Information and Culture Center (JICC), came to visit us and talk about her experience with studying Japanese culture, studying abroad in Japan, as well as her life’s career path and how Japan has influenced it. Gabrielle’s story ended up being really interesting to me because not only did she go to Japan, she intertwined it in her life and learned many skills and lessons during her time there.

Gabrielle started by explaining how she was first introduced to Japan through its pop culture. She said that as someone of Caribbean descent, she could feel that Japanese culture was very different to her own, which intrigued her. This led her to self-study Japanese for a while. Later, as a high school graduation present, Gabrielle went to Okinawa, Japan, where her uncle worked on an American military base. This trip was a great experience for her, and she decided to continue pursuing her love for Japanese through minoring in Japanese in college. 

In her Junior year of college, Gabrielle spent a semester studying abroad in Osaka, Japan. She said Osaka was a very fun city to live in and the university she went to, Kansai Gaidai University, was a great place for cultural exchange, being an international school. After spending this extended period of time in Japan, she realized she wanted to live there. She greatly appreciated the sense of safety she felt in Japan and the vibrancy of the culture.

To pursue her dream of living in Japan, after graduation, Gabrielle decided to apply to the JET program — a program that connects Americans to English teaching jobs in Japan and arranges their stay there. Gabrielle was accepted, and was sent to a small town in Oita prefecture. Upon her arrival there, she was surprised to find out that the town was largely art-focused, and that most of the people and establishments there were related to different art forms. Gabrielle had previously mentioned to us that pottery was one of her biggest interests even back in the U.S., and she had done a lot of work and classes related to pottery. So, along with her teaching work, she was “adopted” into a ceramics store, where she did pottery and was introduced to the Japanese art of Kintsugi, which is a technique that uses gold to fix broken pottery. Along with becoming invested in her community, she also got to travel a lot and see different areas of Japan.

Later on, she decided to end her teaching contract with JET and continue to live in Japan on her own. She moved to Fukuoka, a larger city, where she studied pottery and got officially certified in Kintsugi. Here, she met a lot of interesting people with unique interests such as punk music, and made lots of great friends. Gabrielle told us that she had had a bit of trouble in Japan regarding her hair, as people in Japan often didn’t know about black hair and assumed she had gotten a perm or that her hair was messy. However in Fukuoka, she happened to meet and become friends with a hairdresser who was interested in learning how to work with black hair, which became mutually beneficial for both of them. Meeting so many people she connected with on a deep level was one of the best experiences Gabrielle had in Japan, and she is still friends with them to this day.

In 2023, Gabrielle decided to move back to the U.S. She found out about a job opening at the Japan Information and Culture Center involving their exhibitions. She realized this would be a great position for her, as she loved the idea of being able to teach others about Japanese culture. She eventually became the exhibition coordinator at JICC, and she’s able to put both her creativity and her knowledge of Japan into her work. She even has an upcoming exhibition about Yōkai, which are supernatural entities in Japanese folklore, and we’ll have the opportunity to see it soon!

To me, Gabrielle’s story was extremely inspiring for a few different reasons. To begin with, I thought it was amazing how Gabrielle took Japanese, which was just a hobby at the beginning, and turned it into a lifelong journey of experiences and career opportunities. I am still having trouble figuring out exactly what I want to do in the future, and seeing that it’s possible to find a job that connects so strongly to your interests was really enlightening to me.

Also, I really enjoyed hearing about her experience connecting with different communities throughout Japan and finding lifelong friendships. As someone who also wants to go abroad in the future, I’ve heard a lot about people living in a different country than theirs who struggle to integrate socially because of vast cultural differences. But Gabrielle’s story proves that finding shared interests with others, as well as engaging in community activities and traditions, can foster a sense of belonging and build new friendships no matter how different a place’s culture is. Moreover, I thought that it was great that even though Gabrielle was away from the U.S., she was able to continue pottery, a hobby that she loved, and study Japanese styles of pottery, an experience that she wouldn’t have gotten in the U.S.

Lastly, I liked that Gabrielle had tried a lot of different things before settling down in her current occupation, like teaching and moving to different places. I think that it’s often good for people to experience and try a lot of different things in life before settling down, instead of just going down a straight line to one job or living situation, and I also hope to try a lot of things just like Gabrielle. Gabrielle’s current position also highlights one of the benefits of living in D.C. As the capital of the U.S. where all the embassies are, there are a lot of opportunities related to world cultures and diplomacy. As someone who’s really interested in both, it made me realize that I should take as much advantage of living here as I can. 

Altogether, it was an inspiring story of following one’s passion, and I think all of us learned a lot from it, and I’m excited to visit Gabrielle at the Embassy of Japan and learn more about her work!

From Presentation to Nutrition: What I Learned

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By Malia Butler

Onigiri is a handheld snack made from steamed rice, typically formed into a triangle ball or a shape of choice and often wrapped in nori (seaweed). A bento box is a single-portion meal, either homemade or store bought, packed into a container portioned off. Onigiri and bento boxes are well known in Japan. When I made bento boxes and onigiri for the first time, I learned that presentation is key. In Japan before people eat, you have to appreciate the presentation of your food, by looking at the decorations and the thought put into it. “Before eating you have to eat with your eyes,” which is what Ms. Miwako Felix said from the “Table for Two” organization. Another thing that I learned is before eating a meal you have to say “itadakimasu,” and after a meal you have to say “gochi sou sama deshite.” The reason they do this is to show appreciation to farmers, vendors, and cooks.

Something that I learned that affected me personally is that when making bento boxes they focus on nutrition. When making bento boxes, every meal has to be balanced, so in order to do that they use the 3:2:1 ratio. For the 3 part, this is used as a base. People often use it for steamed rice. For the 2 part, this is used as a main dish, usually meant for a various amount of protein. For the 1 part, this is used for a side, often used for different types of vegetables. Both the 2 and 1 part of the ratio can help with keeping someone energized throughout the day, because each have a specific amount that can keep you energized. Based on this experience, I learned how to make a balanced meal. This can help me on my daily life, because as an athlete it can help me to have energy for sports.

Now Accepting Summer Japan in DC Student Applications

Selection of students for our 2026 Summer Japan in DC Program is now complete. We are keeping our application portal open to fill a few additional seats on our waiting list.

We are very excited to announce that we are now inviting student applications for this summer’s JAPAN IN DC Program. This free six-week program, funded through a generous grant from the United States-Japan Foundation, is open to DC public high school students (both DCPS and charter), who will be selected through a citywide application process. As in the past, JAPAN IN DC will be offered as part of the Marion Barry Summer Youth Employment Program (MBSYEP), which allows registered students to earn summer pay for participation. Students not registered in MBYSEP are also eligible to apply, but they will not receive summer pay.

About the 2026 JAPAN IN DC Summer Program:

Over six weeks this summer (June 29-August 7, 2026), students will move around the city to explore and experience a wide variety of people, places, organizations, businesses, government agencies, and cultural institutions with connections to Japan. This is a really fun and life-transforming program – with a lot of exposure to Japan-related college and career opportunities. Students will document their experiences through writing, photography, video, social media, and other creative expression, and will develop and lead their own “Japan in DC” tours. This summer’s program will have a special focus on the World War II era and the US-Japan relationship. We encourage you to explore this website at www.japaneseplus.org to get a better feel for our Japan programs.

Application Information:

Click below for more program details and to submit an application. We plan to accept up to twenty (20) students from across the city. Our priority deadline is April 21; after that, applications will still be accepted until all seats are filled. Applications will be reviewed as they are received, so don’t delay.

Contact sally@globalizedc.org if you have any questions about the program or the application process.

APPLY HERE

Download a flyer here


As always, please help us share news of this free summer opportunity so that it reaches interested DC public school students in schools across the city. Thank you.

Now Recruiting PT Staff for our Summer Japan in DC Program

These positions have been filled.

Globalize DC is currently seeking two dynamic part-time Co-Teachers to lead this summer’s JAPAN IN DC Program, which will serve up to 20 DC public high school students from across the city. JAPAN IN DC will again be offered as part of the Marion Barry Summer Youth Employment Program (MBSYEP), running June 29-August 7, 2026. Ideal candidates would be secondary teachers (especially social studies), international education professionals, JET alumni, graduate students, or others with relevant experience. High energy, dedication to high school student learning, and basic knowledge of DC geography a must.

About the JAPAN IN DC Program: 
Over six weeks, students will move around the city to explore and experience a wide variety of people, places, organizations, businesses, government agencies, and cultural institutions in DC with connections to Japan. This is a really fun program – and for many students, life-transforming. Students will document their experiences through writing, photography, and other creative expression. In 2026 we will have a special focus on the World War II era (including investigation of Japanese American incarceration, Japanese American veterans, the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and other themes and legacies of these wartime events), as well as the nature and history of the US-Japan relationship. Students will be developing content for our website and creating their own JAPAN IN DC tours. Check the Japan in DC program webpage for background information and updates.

SPECIAL NOTE: We are excited that this year Globalize DC will be developing a social studies curriculum for DC high school classrooms, based on this JAPAN IN DC program. This is a project that any selected Co-Teacher (as well as other local teachers) may wish to be participate in – during the summer or in SY2026-27.

To Apply:
Review the posted job announcement at the link below. If you are interested, please send an email to Sally Schwartz at sally@globalizedc.org with your statement of interest in this position, and your updated resume. We will review applications as received. Our goal is to fill these two positions by the end of April. Any questions, contact Sally at the email address above. For more information about our Japan work, we invite you to explore this Globalize DC:Japan website.

Read the JAPAN IN DC Co-Teacher Job Announcement Here


Please help share us this opportunity with others who may have an interest.

Get involved in our new Japan in DC Program

Globalize DC is now preparing for the launch of our new school year Japan in DC program that will be open at no cost to interested DC public high school students. We’re very excited about the plans we have for this year – and hope many of you will wish to be involved.

photo above: Japan in DC students with Cong. Mark Takano (D-CA)

About Globalize DC

We created Globalize DC in order to expand opportunities for DC public school students to learn about and experience the wider world – through global education, language learning, study abroad, and cross-cultural exchange. We want our students to see their connection to the world – what makes us the same, how we are different, and what we can learn from each other. We want our students to see themselves as actors on a global stage, whether in their future careers, in civic engagement, or in their daily lives. We serve as a bridge between our local students and DC’s unique wealth of globally connected resources, institutions, and people, so they understand and feel empowered to take advantage of the many ways in which the world exists right here in their own hometown. 


At a challenging moment in history, on this special day dedicated to celebrating the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King, we draw inspiration from his words, carved into his Memorial at the Tidal Basin in Washington, DC. “We are all caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied into a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.”

This is the belief animating our work.

PLANS FOR OUR NEW 2026 SCHOOL YEAR “JAPAN IN DC” PROGRAM

This year marks the 10 year anniversary of our organization’s Japan programs. Our goal is to bring the many lessons we’ve learned about Japan and the US-Japan relationship to a much wider audience – with DC students taking the lead. We’re able to do this work thanks to a major grant from United States-Japan Foundation. We also wish to acknowledge CEPEX for its generous donation in support of our Japan programs. 

This year our plan is to introduce a school year version of our summer Japan in DC program to a new group of DC public high school students from across the city. Students will investigate, document, and reflect on the presence of Japan in their own city – engaging with a wide variety of people, places, organizations, institutions, and cultural experiences. They in turn will share what they’re learning about Japan and the special nature of the US-Japan relationship with a much wider community – through engaging website content, social media, maps, tours, and public programs. We also plan for the first time to develop social studies curriculum for local K-12 classrooms, based on this same content and real world experiences, with special attention to the lessons of the World War II era and the US-Japan relationship. We have a lot of ideas, and we know our students will as well, so we have much to look forward to. 

Did you know we’ve already published a book based on our students’ work in previous Japan in DC programs? You can purchase one here (use discount code 10YRS for 20% off) to learn more about the program, while also supporting our Japan work financially.

Buy a Japan in DC Book


WAYS TO GET INVOLVED

Now we are looking for like-minded members of our community who wish to play a role in these efforts. Interested?

DC high school students: We are beginning our student recruitment efforts now. We encourage all interested students from any DC public high school (DCPS or charter), with time to commit, to apply for this free afterschool program. 

Volunteers and part-time staff: We will hire one part-time staff member as co-leader of the program, in addition to recruiting volunteers to assist with a variety of tasks – both working with students and in other roles.

Technical expertise: We are particularly interested in identifying individuals who are experienced with website design (WordPress), video, graphics (CANVA), and social media.

Teachers and curriculum writers: We are recruiting interested educators to work with us both in developing curriculum and strategies for bringing these resources to DC classrooms and teachers.

Speakers, site visit hosts, and workshop providers are a core part of the program. Many of you have generously worked with us before. We’ll be doing more of this kind of programming in 2026 and will welcome your help again – as well as those who are new to us.

Behind the scenes: Program planning, fundraising, research, partner development, and program promotion are all areas where we can use support.

If you’re interested in possibly being involved with us this year, or simply wish to learn more, please fill out the form below to start the conversation. That includes students interested in applying to Japan in DC. We will respond within a few days.

Fill out our Japan Interest Form Here


Anyone with questions can email sally@globalizedc.org. Thank you for helping to spread the word about this great free afterschool opportunity for DC teens.

ISO PT Japanese language teacher for our Japanese Plus program

Globalize DC is currently seeking a dynamic part-time Japanese language teacher for JAPANESE PLUS, our award-winning afterschool Japanese language, culture, and career exposure program for DC public high school students.

Refer to the following links for much more information about Japanese Plus:

Japanese Plus Program Description
SY22-23 Program Highlights
SY23-24 Program Highlights
Student Blog (for a real feel for the program)

This is a Washington, DC-based, in-person program, so applicants must reside in the DC (DMV) area. We will prioritize candidates with relevant teaching credentials and experience with high school students, but we are flexible and open to any candidates who feel they would be right for the position. We will fill the position as soon as we find the right candidate. We are hoping to launch the program later this fall. Please share this announcement with anyone you think might have an interest.

DOWNLOAD THE JOB ANNOUNCEMENT HERE.

Questions? Feel free to contact sally@globalizedc.org.