February 24, 2013 Library of Congress to Host Events in Celebration Of National Cherry Blossom Festival

The Library of Congress will again participate in Washington’s annual celebration of its gift of cherry trees from Japan with two events during the National Cherry Blossom Festival.

The events will take place in the Thomas Jefferson Building, 10 First Street, S.E. in Washington, D.C. Japanese Culture Day is sponsored by the Library’s Asian Division and the Center for the Book. A lecture by Ambassador John Malott is sponsored by the Asian Division. Both events are free and open to the public; no tickets or reservations are needed.

Learning Japanese Culture
Saturday, March 23, 2013, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Learning Japanese Culture introduces children and adults to Japanese culture through book readings, origami, trying on kimonos, and other activities. The Library’s Young Readers Center will provide an opportunity for children to explore the center's library of current and classic books.
Location: Young Readers Center (LJ G29), Ground Floor, Thomas Jefferson Building
Contact: Susan Mordan (202) 707-9203, smordan@loc.gov

Lecture by Ambassador John Malott
Thursday, March 28, 2013, noon to 1 p.m.
Ambassador John Malott lectures on the history of the 1912 gift of cherry trees from the City of Tokyo to Washington, D.C.
Location: Asian Division Foyer (LJ-150), First Floor, Thomas Jefferson Building
Contact: Mari Nakahara (202) 707-2990, mnak@loc.gov
Note: A webcast of the 2012's exhibition “Sakura: Cherry Blossom as Living Symbols of Friendship” will be on view prior to the lecture, starting around 11:30 a.m.

The Asian Division of the Library of Congress holds more than 3 million books, periodicals, newspapers, electronic media and a large number of manuscripts from Asia. The collection is the most comprehensive source of Asian-language materials outside of Asia, and covers the area ranging from Japan, China, Korea, Mongolia and the South Asian subcontinent to Southeast Asia. For more information, visit www.loc.gov/rr/asian/.