Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced Wednesday during a visit to the White House that Japan will gift the United States with 250 new cherry trees to replace those cut down during the construction of Washington’s Tidal Basin.
The city’s now-iconic cherry blossoms bloom along the Tidal Basin in front of the Jefferson Memorial and the National Mall. Construction of part of the basin wall means around 150 trees will be cut down in the coming months.
Kishida said the new tree is a gift to the nation’s 250th anniversary celebrations in 2026.
“Just as local residents have cherished and protected this cherry tree, the Japan-U.S. relationship has been supported and nurtured by many people who love each other’s countries,” Kishida said at the White House on Wednesday.
More than 1,700 cherry trees line the Tidal Basin, East Potomac Park and other areas of the National Mall, according to the Park Service. It was gifted to the United States from Japan in 1912 and has since become an icon of the city, displayed everywhere from the sides of subways and buses to the Washington Nationals’ baseball uniforms.
Prime Minister too talented He visited the two saplings in person at the White House on Tuesday.
In a post on social media, the Prime Minister’s Office said, “We strongly hope that they will grow as new symbols of Japan-U.S. friendship.”
A total of 300 trees, including 158 cherry trees, will be removed as part of the National Park Service’s construction work on the decaying Tidal Basin wall. These include the locally famous Stumpy, a decaying tree with a single flowering branch.
Construction will focus on the southern portion of the Tidal Basin near the Jefferson and Roosevelt monuments.
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