Brooklyn celebrated all things Japanese at Brooklyn Botanic Garden’s annual cherry blossom festival last weekend.
The world-class horticultural museum’s smorgasbord of cultural events celebrated the brief, but extraordinarily vibrant bloom that graces its 26 species of cherry trees, which lasts only a few weeks in March through April every year.
Performances included a high-octane fusion of traditional taiko drumming and martial arts courtesy of Taiko Masala, an elegant Kabuki Bayo dance performance, samurai sword exhibitions, anime- and video game-inspired jazz, and various other musical acts with an eastern twist.
The garden’s beloved cherry blossom festival wouldn’t be complete without a zany cast of cos-playing ticket holders, who donned historic Japanese garb, along with less traditional costumes, including Jon Rios’s fantastic Deadpool, and Emma Salder’s magical unicorn.
