Japan is giving Washington 250 new cherry trees to replace those to be lost in construction work

WASHINGTON (AP) — Japan is giving the United States 250 new cherry trees to help replace the hundreds that are being ripped out this summer as construction crews work to repair the crumbling seawall around the capital’s Tidal Basin.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida made the announcement as President Joe Biden welcomed him to the White House on Wednesday for an official visit and state dinner. Biden said the gift is meant to mark the 250th anniversary of the U.S. in 2026, adding, “Like our friendship, these trees are timeless, inspiring and thriving.”

In 1912, first lady Helen Herron Taft and Viscountess Chinda, wife of the Japanese ambassador to the United States, planted two Yoshino cherry trees on the northern bank of the Potomac River’s Tidal Basin. They were part of the 3,000 such trees Japan gave the U.S. in a symbol of the two countries’ friendship.

The trees blossom in brilliant pinks and reds each spring and draw more than 1 million visitors to Washington. The aesthetics of the nation’s capital aside, the latest gift reflects the geopolitical alliance between Biden and Kishida as they hold talks on the delicate security situation in the Pacific. The state dinner is designed to celebrate one of Biden’s strongest allies.

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