Photos from Culture Week @ Liberty Place Rotunda -- Dr. Robot's Sumo Robot Battle, Martial Arts Demonstrations, Kimono Dressing...

Entries for the 2009 Sakura Snapshots Photo Contest.

On April 5, 2009, an estimated 40,000 Philadelphians celebrated the return of spring at what may have been the most successful Sakura Sunday in the history of the Subaru Cherry Blossom Festival of Greater Philadelphia. With beautiful weather and (almost) all the trees in bloom, guests reveled beneath the blossoms enjoying Japanese food, music, dance, and various other activities throughout the day.

The 2009 Subaru Cherry Blossom Festival Gala took place on Saturday, March 28 at the Union League of Philadelphia. When guests entered the room they found blossoms everywhere as the centerpiece of each table was overflowing with blooming cherry boughs. They celebrated the arrival of spring time with a kagami-biraki sake barrel breaking ceremony and a kabuki dance by Isaburo Hanayagi.

A crowd of 2,400 came out to enjoy the Kodo event at the Kimmel Center on March 17th. After enjoying drinks and activities in the plaza, attendees gathered in Verizon Hall to enjoy Kodo's stunning spectacle of percussion, song, and dance.

Japan Night @ Philadelphia Museum of Art, featuring live performance by Love, Etc., turned out to be a fantastic success drawing media attention and an enthusiastic crowd. The four piece J-Pop-Jazz group from Brooklyn treated the crowd to a charming two-set performance in the grand stair hall of the museum. Attendees dined and drank, enjoying the music and the current Art of Japanese Craft exhibit.