Cold weather has delayed the blossoms of the nearly 100 Shirofugen cherry trees at Clark College, but the annual Sakura Festival took place as scheduled Thursday with cultural performances and the unveiling of a “peace pole” near the Frost Arts Center on the college’s main campus.
The annual festival promotes the bonds of friendship between Vancouver and its sister city of Joyo, Japan. This year’s events included guest speakers and a performance by Kikuyo Jurgens, who is a member of Dance Leo, a Japanese dance ensemble.
The cherry trees, given in 1990 by Shin-Etsu Chemical Co. in honor of Washington’s centennial, are part of the Royce E. Pollard Japanese Friendship Garden. They can be seen on the southwest corner of the campus, 1933 Fort Vancouver Way. They should reach full bloom in the coming days.
The Sakura Festival is sponsored by Clark College, the city of Vancouver and the Rotary Club of Vancouver.