Sakura (cherry blossom) season is making its way through the city and we want to celebrate! Fumi and Goodies Snack Shop invite you to Hanami Hangout on Tuesday, March 24th (12-3p) at the Japanese American Historical Plaza. Hanami is the Japanese tradition of sitting beneath the fleeting beauty of the blooming sakura with friends, family, and neighbors equipped with food, drink, and time to spare.

What to expect:

• Start your visit at Goodies Snack Shop (just two blocks away from the Plaza) to pick up some treats ~ the first 20 folks receive a FREE Goodies snack bag.

• If you didn’t bring your own bento, worry not! Ippai will be vending onigiri (rice ball) and spam musubi 12–1:30p in Goodies.

• Then wander over to the Plaza to join us for hanami (12–3p). Look for our signs.

• A special treat, artist mai ide will be offering picnic blanket mending (tools and supplies will be provided).

• The Japanese American Museum of Oregon Cherry Blossom Trike and Kizuna Tours will be joining us to share Japanese American stories and history of the Plaza and the surrounding neighborhood.

There is more to this park than 100 akebono cherry trees. The Japanese American Historical Plaza honors the history, struggles, and resilience of Japanese Americans in Oregon and beyond. It tells the story of early immigration in the 1880s, the unjust incarceration of over 120,000 Japanese Americans during World War II, and the challenges of rebuilding their lives afterward.

We invite you to not only enjoy the cherry blossoms but also to take a walk through the full installation of engraved stones with poetry that reflect the Japanese American immigrant experience.

Let us celebrate together beneath the sakura trees with gratitude, honor, and joy! 

For event updates, please return to this events page or our Instagram.