Last weekend I went to the 46th annual Cherry Blossom Festival in San Francisco’s Japan Town. The event consisted of live music from local schools, as well as bands such as the Saki Jazz Band and many other performers.

There was also food stands outside, serving a variety foods such as takoyaki, yakisoba, and shaved ice. The lines were quite long but worth the wait.

The highlight of the weekend was the grand parade, going from City Hall to Japan Town. Among the many floats and people marching through the streets was the Taru Mikoshi, which is a portable shrine made from sake barrels provided by local sake brewers carried by the shoulders of locals who are believed to temporarily possess the divine spirit.

Towards the end of the event was the anime fashion show, where people from all over dressed up as anime characters.

Overall the Cherry Blossom Festival was a huge success, the location was filled with spectacular events, leaving all who attended with a great experience a good impression of Japanese culture.