2026 Subaru Cherry Blossom Festival Kick-off Night: Zenyasai Concert
Schedule
Fri, 27 Mar, 2026 at 07:00 pm
UTC-04:00Location
3721 Midvale Avenue, Philadelphia, PA, United States, Pennsylvania 19129 | Philadelphia, PA
Advertisement
2026 is the 100th Anniversary of Japan's gift of cherry trees to Philadelphia. Come celebrate with us. We have an incredible lineup of performers. Tickets $20 online, $25 at the door
After 5:30pm on the day of the show, only door tickets will be available.
Doors at 6:30pm
A Night of Cultural Harmony at The Fallser Club
For the fourth year, the opening ceremony for the 2025 Cherry Blossom Festival will be held at The Fallser Club.
Join us for an evening of music, culture, and artistic collaboration at the Fallser Club, featuring a diverse lineup of performers blending Japanese tradition, folk, dance, and classical music.
This event promises a truly immersive and unforgettable experience, celebrating the power of music to bridge cultures and inspire audiences.
Keystone Japan Club
The Keystone Japan Club is a group of passionate local students, International students from various countries, teachers, and residents who love Japanese cultures in Philadelphia. They regularly practice and showcase Japanese dances and songs, with a mission to help make Philadelphia one of the most culturally rich cities in the nation. They are "keystone" in connecting Japan and the United States through exchanges of language and culture.
Casual Fifth
Casual Fifth is a Philadelphia-based Taiko and Modern Dance ensemble focused on creating innovative work rooted in the fundamentals and history of Japanese Taiko drumming and American modern dance.
Casual Fifth is the joint venture of Alex Pfister, Mac Evans and the friends, mentors, and mentees they've made along the way.
Musical Duet: Kosaburo and Chōichie
Amane Sakaguchi (stage name: Kosaburo)
Born as the eldest daughter of Kineya Katsusaburō VIII, head of the esteemed Kinekatsu School, the foremost nagauta lineage, Amane inherited a deep artistic heritage from an early age. She began studying nagauta at three, piano at four, and shamisen at six, marking the start of an extraordinary musical journey. At fourteen, she made her stage debut, and at twenty, was formally inaugurated as “Kineya Kosaburō.” A graduate of Geidai, Japan’s most prestigious institution for the performing arts, she completed her studies at the top of her class and received both the Acanthus Music Prize and the Ryohei Miyata Scholarship. Her artistry bridges centuries and genres, ranging from compositions for major national cultural programs and acclaimed productions such as Touken Ranbu, to collaborations with leading contemporary musicians including BREIMEN and Snow Man. In 2024, she became the first Japanese composer accepted into the Master’s Program in Composition at the Curtis Institute of Music, where she is creating a new work for shamisen and viola, jointly commissioned by Curtis and the Library of Congress, which premiered to critical acclaim in Washington, D.C. in autumn 2025.
Chie Mitsui (stage name: Chōichie)
Chie’s lifelong devotion to the Japanese performing arts began in early childhood, when she was immersed in traditional dance before discovering nagauta music in her school years. A graduate of Geidai, Japan’s top performing arts conservatory, Chie completed her studies at the top of her class, and has since built a distinguished career as a performer and cultural innovator. Her artistry spans media and stage alike, contributing to the acclaimed One Piece: Wano Country Arc and various television dramas, while gracing the stage of the prestigious Kabukiza Theatre and other renowned venues. Beyond concert halls, she brings nagauta to temples and historic landmarks, illuminating its contemporary vitality and reimagining the classical form as a living art that resonates powerfully in the present.
https://www.instagram.com/chouichie_imafuji/
Master Takaharu Fukuzawa with Yasuyo Fukuzawa
1996年 Koden Enshinryu Grandmaster (Soke) FUMON TANAKA
License All Biography Master (Menkyo Kaiden Shihan)
Honmon Enshin-ryu
Master of Iai sword-cutting techniques (Iai-suemono-giri-kenpō)
Heir of Ōdachi sword-drawing techniques (Ōdachi battōjutsu)
Licensed instructor of Tenshin Hyōhō Sōden Kukishin-ryu
Master Fukuzawa is trained and licensed in multiple traditional lineages.
These are highly respected schools that preserve ancient sword and battlefield techniques.
"Menkyō kaiden" means full transmission or mastery of a tradition.
Kukishin-ryu, for example, is known for its warrior strategy and weapon systems.
Kobudō represents Japan's martial traditions before modernization.
These arts were practiced by warriors in feudal Japan and are preserved for historical, cultural, and martial understanding. Some date back over 1,200 years.
Yasuyo Fukuzawa
Yasuyo became a student of Deguchi Korei, Gagaku musician at Kasuga Taisha Shrine, Ryuteki, Shinobue player, music composer, in 2000. She performed shinobue The Gathering of Japanese Music in Yawata City in Kyoto. She has also performed with traditional Japanese musicians for many years.
Kikashima
Kikashima, a Californian Japanese-Mexican musical powerhouse, is made of equal parts legacy and rebellion. Based in Philadelphia, Kikashima has been featured on WXPN's Key Studio Sessions and NPR's Tiny Desk Contest On The Road.
Kikashima will weave stories of her family’s history in the Japanese internment camps during WWII with original songs, depicting the legacy living in a politicized body and creating and healing the relationship to oneself through music.
The University of Pennsylvania Symphony Orchestra
The University of Pennsylvania Symphony Orchestra, established in 1878, has long been a vital part of Penn’s musical community. Comprised primarily of non-music majors, the ensemble brings together students from across the university to explore a diverse orchestral repertoire spanning the 18th to 20th centuries.
The Penn orchestra will collaborate with Amane Sakaguchi (Kosaburo Kineya IV) for the Sakura Concert, blending European classical music with traditional Japanese sounds to create a unique and immersive musical experience. Featured musicians include Sherry Du (violin), Elliot Kim (violin), Ashvin Satwani (cello), Kyunghwan Lim (clarinet), Ellie Clark (flute), and Justin Duong (piano/keyboard), and a special guest Andy Thierauf (percussionist) under the direction of Ramsey Reyes, Assistant Conductor of the Penn Orchestra.
The University of Pennsylvania Symphony Orchestra’s Social:
https://music.sas.upenn.edu/ensembles/penn-symphony-orchestra
Advertisement
Where is it happening?
3721 Midvale Avenue, Philadelphia, PA, United States, Pennsylvania 19129Event Location & Nearby Stays:
Know what’s Happening Next — before everyone else does.
