Buffalo Cherry Blossoms
- Suzie Wells
- 3 days ago
- 9 min read
In Japan, hanami, meaning “flower viewing,” is the centuries-old tradition of gathering beneath blooming cherry trees to appreciate their fleeting beauty. The blossoms, or sakura, symbolize renewal and the precious, passing nature of life.
For a brief, luminous window, thousands of visitors spread blankets, stroll the winding paths, and look upward through canopies of petals. The blossoms’ short season is part of their magic. As Paula Hinz, co-founder of the annual Buffalo Cherry Blossom Festival, explains, “Buffalo’s harsh winters send us inside to stay warm. The blossoming cherry trees invite us back outside to see those ephemeral pink blossoms and reconnect with our neighbors.”
The setting itself carries deep history. Delaware Park was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux in 1869 as part of the nation’s first citywide park and parkway system; “A City in a Park!” they called it. The six-acre Japanese Garden, located behind the Buffalo History Museum on the site of the 1901 Pan-American Exposition, grew from Buffalo’s Sister City relationship with Kanazawa, Japan, established in 1962. A gift from Kanazawa in 1972 helped bring the garden to life; it was completed in 1974 and later designated an Honorary International Peace Garden in 2012.
Over the decades, the garden has evolved through careful stewardship. The Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy maintains the space with support from the all-volunteer Friends of the Japanese Garden of Buffalo. A 1994 redesign by Master Gardeners from Japan deepened its authenticity, and a 2010 restoration addressed shoreline erosion while introducing more than a thousand new plantings. Today, the garden stands not only as a horticultural gem but as a living symbol of international friendship.
Since 2014, the Cherry Blossom Festival has become what organizers call a “springtime magnet,” drawing artists, photographers, families, and nature lovers to celebrate the season. Founded by Trudy Stern, Atsuko Nishida-Mitchell, and Paula Hinz, the festival began with a simple purpose: to share the beauty and serenity of the garden more widely and to help “support the upkeep of this treasure.” That mission has grown to encourage cherry tree plantings throughout the city, creating a springtime “Blizzard of Blossoms” to complement Buffalo’s famous winter storms.
Buffalo will celebrate its 13th annual Cherry Blossom Festival on April 25–26, 2026. Visitors can enjoy boat rides on Mirror Lake, a tea celebration, bonsai displays, origami, Japanese language lessons, and hands-on crafts. Vendors reflect connections to Japan, cherry blossoms, and gardening, while entertainment unfolds across three stages. Performances include Odori no Kai dancers, the thunderous rhythms of Shibuki Taiko drummers, and local musicians.
For one radiant weekend—and for a few fleeting weeks beyond—the Japanese Garden becomes a place to pause, look around, and gather beneath blossoms that remind Buffalo each year of renewal, resilience, and enduring ties across the world.
Interview with Paula Hinz, co-founder of Buffalo’s Cherry Blossom Festival
Why is the Cherry Blossom Festival a key Buffalo festival?
Buffalo’s Cherry Blossom Festival is one of the first festivals each spring, so it’s the first chance to reconnect. Taiko drums and live music from Music is Art, a tea ceremony and cultural activities at The Buffalo History Museum, food trucks, pink boat rides, and vendors, smack dab in the middle of blossoming pink trees. People come back year after year for fun, friends, and photos. And to top it off, it’s free to attend.
How do people use/enjoy the garden, in spring and year-round?
The Japanese Garden is a beautiful strolling garden and a significant destination for visitors who come to capture milestone photos and memorable moments. With Abraham Lincoln looking out over the garden towards Mirror Lake, the Buffalo History Museum’s portico adds another layer to this landscape. I’m always thrilled when someone tells me they got engaged at the Japanese Garden. Of all the beautiful places in Buffalo, this garden welcomes Buffalonians for their special moments.
What do you think draws people here?
People come to the Japanese Garden for a break. They want to be surrounded by nature in a well-cared for and safe place. Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy’s leadership makes this look easy, but it’s not. Plenty of community volunteers help keep the garden tidy. Sometimes this happens on a designated cleanup day; other times, it’s a dog walker passing through the garden, picking up trash. There is a sense of ownership and pride here. And that’s lucky for all of us. Our garden is the only Japanese Garden located in a Fredrick Law Olmsted-designed park, and it’s free and open to the public. That is remarkable to grasp. No fence and no entrance fee. All we have to do is enjoy it and remember to leave it looking nice for the next person.
Why is flower-viewing, especially at springtime, but also year-round, important to the human experience?
Nature rejuvenates us. The Japanese celebrate the cherry blossom because it reminds them to ‘stop and smell the roses’ so to say. That life is fleeting, so don’t put off enjoying it. Once you start noticing the cherry blossoms in spring, you can’t help but notice Mother Nature’s show unfold each week. By autumn, leaves starts changing color and dropping. Finding beauty in each season grounds us to nature.
Which are your personal favorite cherry tree/s here?
I love the Kanzan trees. They have bright pink double blossoms and bloom closer to May. They are so bold, you can’t miss them. It’s the kind of tree that, if there is one in your neighborhood, you’ve probably snapped a few photos of it in spring. It’s stunning and when I see them in bloom, I can’t help but smile.
What has been your personal favorite part/s of helping develop/maintain the garden?
A healthy garden promotes growth, not just from the soil, but also in the community. Buffalo is lucky to have Garden Walk, so we are already focused on community building through gardening. Buffalo’s Cherry Blossom Festival started 13 years ago, and at that time, we often heard people say, “Buffalo has a Japanese Garden? Where is it?” We have had the Japanese Garden for 50 years, and it’s gone through many highs and lows. When it’s forgotten, it looks sad. Right now, it is so appreciated that it looks loved.
The Festival continues because Music is Art, Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy, The Buffalo History Museum, and Friends of the Japanese Garden work together to create something special every year. If we hadn’t started the festival, perhaps the garden would still be forgotten. I feel so lucky that we have this treasure in our own backyard.
Japan Culture Center of WNY Inc (Buffalo-Kanazawa Sister City)
What are the most important things you want the Buffalo community to know about your organization and what you do?
Our organization has a mission to support Japan-related activities in WNY, promote Japanese Culture, and strengthen the Sister City relationship between Buffalo and Kanazawa, and Rochester and Hamamatsu. For us, the Sister City relationship is more than just an exchange of cultures. It's a way for us to be engaged with a living piece of Buffalo's history and to promote Buffalo as the City of Good Neighbors abroad.
We strive to be a springboard for people who are interested in Japan and Japanese culture, to help them find ways to explore that interest and be engaged through local cultural events like celebrating Setsubun at Buffalo Ro-O Zan Enkyoji Temple or helping to promote Japanese films at North Park Theatre.
Why is it important to cultivate this cultural exchange? Why is the Japan/US connection important?
By learning about and appreciating other cultures, you appreciate your local culture. I think people sometimes pigeon-hole Buffalo as a football city, or a Rust-belt city, and while those identities are important and are major threads in the fabric of Buffalo, we are also much more. We are a city that is, and has been, full of the arts, science, and innovation. By participating in these exchanges, you dig deeper into what happens locally. Outside of appreciating the local, cultural exchange through Sister City relationships helps you appreciate the similarities between people. While the language and culture may be different, we are all people; finding similarities between the people of Buffalo and the people of Kanazawa helps to make the relationship more relaxed and brings additional warmth.
What key events are you excited about this spring/summer?
We will have a booth at the Cherry Blossom Festival this April and various events this summer that will promote Asian Culture.
Buffalo’s Sister City, Kanazawa, Japan
Kanazawa (meaning “gold marsh,” named when a peasant farmer accidently stumbled upon shiny gold dust flakes while digging for potatoes) is the capital and largest city in Ishikawa prefecture, surrounded by the Sea of Japan and the Japan Alps. Kanazawa has a population ~451,000 in an area around four times larger than Buffalo. Kanazawa is often called “Little Kyoto” for its cultural heritage and has a long history of arts support.
Buffalo is Kanazawa’s FIRST sister city, friendship and agreement signed by Buffalo Mayor Chester Kowal and Kanazawa Mayor Doi in December 1962. Since then, delegations have exchanged art and ideas between the two cities. Kanazawa gifted Buffalo the
Author and college history professor, Robert G. Flershem, recommended Buffalo to Kanazawa as a strong potential sister city partner. In recognition of his role in fostering the relationship, Kanazawa awarded Flershem honorary citizenship in 2002. He died in Kanazawa in 2006 at age 92 and is buried at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Buffalo.
Sister City Facts, courtesy Japan Culture Center of Western NY
· In 1964, Kanazawa sent Buffalo a beautiful kotoji-tōrō stone lantern in honor of our new friendship.
· Buffalo’s well-loved Japanese Garden behind The History Museum, was a gift given by Kanazawa in 1971 (complete in 1974) to recognize our friendship.
· A bronze statue of a buffalo was gifted to Kanazawa and is now located in their Sister Cities Park.
· Kanazawa has four distinct seasons, as does Buffalo! With a rich artisan history, Kanazawa maintains much of its geisha, samurai, and castle districts from circa the 1600s. With 80 museums and an incredible array of artisans of all sorts, Kanazawa is often called “Little Kyoto” due to its cultural charms.
· Buffalo has “Lake Effect” snow whereas Kanazawa has “Sea Effect” snow. Buffalo averages about 95 inches of snow per year while Kanazawa gets about 62 inches per year!
· Kanazawa has a population of ~ 451,000, almost twice the size of Buffalo’s population, about 4x as large by area!)
Local Cultural Groups around Buffalo
Japan Culture Center of Western NY
Buffalo and Kanazawa, Japan, have shared a vibrant Sister City relationship since 1962, when Buffalo became Kanazawa’s first international partner. Kanazawa, a historic castle city on Japan’s western coast known for its arts, crafts, and celebrated Kenroku-en Garden, has played a lasting role in Buffalo’s cultural landscape, most notably through the 1974 gift of the Japanese Garden in Delaware Park and its continued support, including major renovations completed for the 60th anniversary of the partnership.
The relationship is sustained locally by the Japan Culture Center of Western New York, which grew from the original Buffalo–Kanazawa Sister City Committee. The organization promotes cultural exchange across the Buffalo–Niagara region through educational programs, community presentations, and collaborative events. Activities over the years have included taiko drumming, shakuhachi flute, Noh theater, tea ceremonies, ikebana, martial arts, traditional crafts, and more. Annual highlights include the Buffalo Cherry Blossom Festival, Japan Culture Day, and the Asian Food & Culture Festival—ongoing celebrations of friendship, cultural appreciation, and people-to-people connection between the two cities.
JGB SHIBUKI Japanese Drum Group is a Buffalo-based kumi daiko (ensemble taiko) group sharing the powerful art of Japanese drumming with audiences across Western New York. Formed in 2016 through the Japanese Group of Buffalo, SHIBUKI brings a high-energy, physically dynamic performance style that blends rhythm, strength, and choreographed movement. Their name, shibuki—meaning “splash”—nods to nearby Niagara Falls and reflects how individual players combine their unique energy into one unified, thunderous sound.
The group began when founding member Yoshiko, encouraged by renowned taiko artist Kenji Furutate, turned the wish for a local taiko ensemble into reality. With early mentorship, borrowed drums, and homemade tire drums, SHIBUKI quickly grew from a hobby club into a performing ensemble. Community support and fundraising allowed them to acquire authentic taiko instruments over time, including a large odaiko drum added in 2024.
Now 19 members strong, SHIBUKI performs widely at cultural festivals, arts events, schools, and community celebrations, including the Buffalo Cherry Blossom Festival, Japan Culture Day, Music Is Art Festival, and more. They also collaborate with other musical groups and support regional cultural organizations, promoting unity, empowerment, and appreciation of Japanese arts and culture through the heartbeat of taiko.
jgbshibuki.weebly.com, or find them on social media.
Japanese Group of Buffalo
A community organization connecting people in Buffalo and the surrounding area who share an interest in Japan. Guided by the motto “Make Buffalo Bright and Fun!”, the group promotes cultural exchange, friendship, and mutual support.
The organization provides practical resources for Japanese residents, including comprehensive living guides with information on driver’s licenses, housing, healthcare, education, and more. Members can connect through hobby-based clubs such as Wadaiko (Japanese drumming), chorus, Odori (dance), and Knit Café.
Seasonal programming includes a spring party, picnics, Bon Odori (Japanese summer festival), Japan Culture Day in November, and monthly social gatherings.
Odori-no-Kai (Japanese Dance Group)
Odori-no-Kai is a community group united by a shared appreciation for traditional Japanese dance. Active since the founding of the Japanese Group of Buffalo, the ensemble has presented graceful performances at a wide range of cultural events over the years. Today, members rehearse regularly, preparing to take the stage at the Spring Cherry Blossom Festival and Autumn Culture Day celebrations.