Every springtime, without fail, the blooming of the sakura binds Tokyo and Washington despite the vast distances that separate them in so many other ways.
Nestled both on the northeastern rim of their respective continents, the cherry trees of the American and Japanese national capitals often bloom in unison. Hanami parties under the blossoms are a venerable tradition for both Ueno Koen and the Tidal Basin.
This year the sakura season has been unusually beautiful and enduring here in Washington. The skies have been clear, with little wind or rain, and the weather unseasonably cool. The petals, however, began floating gently down, in the sakura fubuki that nostalgically signals the bitter-sweet end to an unusually radiant spring.