The Japanese Friendship Garden is having a Cherry Blossom Festival. It will be held on Saturday, March 13th, 2010. Hours are 11:00 am to 2:00 pm. Food, entertainment, arts & crafts, tea ceremony and koto (stringed instrument) demonstrations.

Located in beautiful Balboa Park; 2215 Pan American Road E.

The Japanese Friendship Garden Society of San Diego has created a Japanese-style garden dedicated to the well-being of all people which provides educational programs that encourage understanding of the Japanese heritage among people of diverse ethnic backgrounds and cultures.

It provides a variety of seminars, classes and workshops as well as accredited horticultural instruction. Seminars for both the amateur and professional gardener are held with faculty that includes internationally prominent masters from Japan and the United States. The seminars provide an educational program of landscape gardening that enable the participants to learn the principles, skills and techniques for implementing a Japanese garden. Students learn at hands on workshops, lectures, demonstrations and discussions. A broad range of classes and workshops representing a variety of arts and crafts as well as Japanese conversation and cuisine are offered for children and adults. Through the San Diego Unified School District / Balboa Park Program, approximately 5,000 fifth grade students from the district learn about the design of the Garden and Japanese culture. Instruction includes the use of chopsticks, kimono wearing, foods and other aspects of Japanese student life. The purpose of the program is to increase understanding of Japanese culture.