Preserving Legacy | Part I. Cherry Blossom Conservation Lecture

Presented by the Japan Information & Culture Center, Embassy of Japan

Join us for an engaging lecture with distinguished landscape architect and artist Ron Henderson as he explores the cultural and ecological significance of cherry blossom trees in Japan and beyond.  

As a Japan-U.S. Friendship Commission Creative Artist Fellow, Henderson followed the blossoming cherry trees from southern to northern Japan, capturing the horticultural traditions that sustain these trees. Although the practices differed by region, his travels revealed a common theme: the deep reverence for cherry blossoms as symbols of impermanence, renewal, and the fleeting beauty of life. His work is the subject of Sakura Orihon, a solo exhibition at the National Bonsai and Penjing Museum at the U.S. National Arboretum in Washington, D.C., featuring thirteen folding sketchbooks (orihon).  

In this presentation, Henderson will share stories from his fieldwork and highlight renowned cherry blossom sites in Japan like the Yamataka Jindai-Zakura in Yamanashi Prefecture—believed to be the world’s oldest living cherry tree.  Henderson will also touch on his collaborations with master gardener FUJIMOTO Kurato and a dedicated team of specialists who restore historic cherry trees utilizing time-honored techniques—such as yukitsuri (rope-tenting) and hōzue (brace/crutch). 

This lecture is a part of our two-part Preserving Legacy: Lecture and Workshop series—a must-see for those interested in landscape architecture, Japanese cultural heritage, and environmental conservation.  

Ron Henderson is a Professor of Landscape Architecture + Urbanism at the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago and the inaugural Director of Research for the Alphawood Arboretum at IIT. He is the founding principal of LIRIO Landscape Architecture, with projects in North America, Asia, and Europe. His notable works include: 

• Gardens of the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum (Boston, MA) 

• Newport Art Museum Campus (Newport, RI) 

• Newport Spring Park (Newport, RI) 

• Elizabethan Theater at Château d’Hardelot (Condette, France) 

• Memorial to the Abolition of the Slave Trade (Nantes, France) 

Henderson is also the author of 30 Trees (Birkhäuser, 2023) and The Gardens of Suzhou (University of Pennsylvania Press). 

This event is free and open to the public, but registration is required for security purposes. Program begins at 6:30PM. Doors open 30 minutes prior. No admittance after 7:00 PM or once seating is full. Registered guests will be seated on a first come, first served basis. Please note that seating is limited and registration does not guarantee guests a seat

Host or Publisher Japan Information & Culture Center, Embassy of Japan