Bloom with a view

In Japan, the time around the blossoming of the country's ubiquitous cherry trees is sacred. Sakura, as this time is called, celebrates the ephemeral nature of spring. The cherry blossoms, a primordial pink, bloom and stay on the trees for such a short time, but are hallowed as indicators that life is being renewed after winter.

During the 1860s, Philadelphians headed to Japan, whose doors had just opened to the West after feudal times, and they brought home cherry trees their hosts gave them. They planted the trees around the city, but particularly in Fairmount Park. Japan sent even more to help celebrate the Sesquicentennial World's Fair, held in Fairmount Park in 1926.

In recent years, Subaru of America, the Cherry Hill-based auto company affiliated with its Japanese parent, has sponsored a monthlong Sakura Festival, a chance to bring Japanese art, culture, and food to the area. The Morris Arboretum also plans activities April 10 and 17.

"The best time is the first couple of weeks of April, when the trees tend to blossom," said Aaron Dilliplane, assistant director of the Japan America Society of Greater Philadelphia.

Dilliplane, a Pottstown native, went to Japan during and after attending Gettysburg College. He became fascinated with the culture, inspiring him to help run the festival here.

In the next couple of weeks, there are lots of events, big and small, in the Sakura Festival. Here are some highlights:

Tamagawa Taiko Drum and Dance Group

The Taiko drummers from Tamagawa, a university outside Tokyo, will perform at three area colleges beginning Monday. Dilliplane said the Taiko drummers are unique, since they combine rhythm, melody, and movement.

"It is almost like a dance-drumming technique," Dilliplane said. "It's not only the sound, but the way they hit the drum. It is a real stage performance, the movements telling stories."

The Tamagawa Group will be at Swarthmore College's Lang Concert Hall on Monday; Haverford College's Roberts Marshall Auditorium on Tuesday; and the University of the Arts' Gershman Hall on Wednesday. All performances will be at 7 p.m. and admission is free.

Japanese food tasting

The Maido! Japanese Food Market in Narberth will be showing off its wares noon to 4 p.m. Saturday for free, especially for those who have not yet acquired a taste for Japanese cuisine.

"Japanese food is not just sushi and sashimi," said Dilliplane, who taught English near the ancient city of Nagasaki while living in Japan.

He said visitors to Maido! should try snacks such as Japanese curry, wasabi chips, and mochi cakes, which are readily available all around the region at Asian food shops these days.

Amateur sushi contest

Think you can master the art of sushi ad hoc? The Sakura Festival will give you the opportunity at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at the Pyramid Club, on the 52d floor of the BNY Mellon Center building at 1735 Market St.

Under the auspices of Madame Saito, a sushi-making instructor from Temple University, contestants will be able to fashion the maki or regular sushi of their choice in competition. For $45, contestants can don their aprons and have all the materials necessary for the contest. Mere spectators of this Iron Chef-like event pay only $10 and will get sushi and sake while watching the contest.

Sakura Sunday

The big festival day is Sunday, April 11. Dilliplane expects the cherry blossoms to be at their peak then.

Most events will center on Horticultural Hall in Fairmount Park, near the intersection of Belmont Avenue and Montgomery Drive.

There will be a main stage from 10:45 a.m. to 4 p.m., with performances ranging from the Tamagawa Taiko Drumers to Uzuhi, a Japanese punk-pop group, to acoustic guitar singer-songwriters.

At the hall, there will be children's and family entertainment and workshops, including sessions on sushi-making, shiatsu massage, origami, and sword-cutting demonstrations. There also will be an opportunity to plant new cherry and other species of trees nearby.

The Cherry Blossom Queen will read traditional stories to children at Please Touch Museum, inside Fairmount Park's Memorial Hall, at noon. The Cherry Blossom 5K run/walk through the park will be at 7 a.m., and benefit the Japan America Society of Greater Philadelphia's Community Cherry Tree Planting Project. Cost of the run is $20.

Sakura Sunday events, except for the run/walk, are free, but the Japan America Society asks for a donation of $5 per person for its projects.

For more information about all the Sakura Festival events, call 215-790-3810 or go to www.jasgp.org/cherryblossomfestival.

Morris Arboretum

The Morris Arboretum of the University of Pennsylvania also will offer Cherry Blossom events this month on two Saturdays, April 10 and April 17.

This celebration of the unique aspect of the arboretum's rich Japanese culture and heritage will feature activities for adults and children, including a visit by the Tokyo Cherry Blossom Queen on April 12. Also planned are sushi, tea and archery demonstrations.

For more information, call 215-247-5777 or go to the arboretum's Web site, www.morrisarboretum.org.