Every year when spring brings the flowers into bloom, one of the most visually noticeable attractions—besides the sunnier weather—is the cherry blossoms on the waterfront and in other parts of Portland, Oregon. It’s nearly impossible to visit the waterfront on a weekend evening and not find hundreds of others with the same plans, all strolling under the trees while admiring their beauty and filling up their camera rolls with social media-worthy photos.
These cherry blossoms hold importance in our community by bringing us together for a special occasion once every year, but they also hold a rich and important history. The cherry blossoms were gifted to the city of Portland by Japan in 1990 to be dedicated to the Japanese American Historical Plaza. The intention behind the plaza was to raise public awareness of the diversity of cultural experiences in the United States. The plaza is located in Chinatown, which was also referred to as “Japantown” prior to World War II. The plaza memorializes the stories of Japanese workers sent to internment camps during WWII, 4,000 of those Japanese workers being from Oregon. The cherry blossoms in the plaza are accompanied by artistic works consisting of poems, sculptures and more. The plaza was created by Japanese-American artist Robert Murase and it sits among a list of his notable works, in addition to being a popular place to catch the spring cherry blossoms in Portland.
