First held in 1961 as a small members-only event, the Sakura Matsuri – Japanese Street Festival is now the largest exhibition of Japanese culture in the United States.
The Sakura Matsuri is held each spring as the grand finale of the National Cherry Blossom Festival and regularly attracts over 40,000 visitors across both days.
Since 2018, the Sakura Matsuri has been held on Pennsylvania Avenue, NW between 3rd to 7th Streets on the same day of the National Cherry Blossom Festival Parade. Every year, over 100 vendors and performers participate in the festival and share their love of Japanese culture, performance, and food with attendees.
Applications
2024 Vendor, Exhibitor and Performer Applications are closed.
Local Community Exhibitors: The Sakura Matsuri welcomes local community groups who wish to demonstrate their activities and inform our attendees about their activities in the community.
Commercial Vendors: Sellers of commercially made Japanese and Japanese-style merchandise. These vendors are divided into two areas of the Matsuri, Ginza Marketplace and Japan Now.
Artisan Vendors: We welcome vendors of their handmade items that are either Japanese style or influenced by Japanese culture.
Food Vendors: Our attendees enjoy fresh-cooked Japanese and other types of food at the Matsuri, as well as some packaged foods. Preference is given to vendors of Japanese foods.
Special Cultural Exhibitors: We welcome the participation of non-profit organizations, academic institution and NGOs who wish to educate our attendees about their presence in US-Japan relations.
Performing and Martial Arts: The Matsuri has 4 stages and we welcome performers who represent Japanese history and culture in their performances. Anyone wishing to perform a cooking demonstration should apply as a performer.
For more information about applying to participate at the Sakura Matsuri, please contact us at sakuramatsuri@jaswdc.org.
Become a Sponsor
Sponsor Sakura Matsuri – Japanese street festival in 2024 and be seen by an audience of over 40,000 Japan-interested attendees. Click the button below to learn more about sponsorship options in 2024.
Volunteer
The Sakura Matsuri couldn’t take place without our dedicated volunteers! We need over 600 volunteers to help us staff this amazing festival. We have a wide variety of committees, shifts, and tasks for you to choose from, so find one that interests you and jump on in!
For more information, contact sakuramatsuri@jaswdc.org
