The Trust for the National Mall Joins a Special Ceremony with Japan's Prime Minister
Trust for the National Mall Joins Special Ceremony with JapanESE Prime Minister, National park service
The Trust for the National Mall was honored to join our partners at the National Park Service for a special ceremony on the National Mall at the Japanese Stone Lantern with Prime Minister of Japan Fumio Kishida during the Prime Minister’s official state visit.
Prime Minister Kishida presented two cherry tree saplings and announced the nation of Japan will gift 250 new cherry trees to the National Mall in recognition of the United States’ 250th anniversary in 2026. This historic gift builds upon Japan’s original gift of the cherry trees to the U.S. in 1912. This moment was doubly meaningful, having taken place at the Stone Lantern Plaza— a landscape including an accessible stone patio, plantings and series of weathered boulders that was designed and built by the Trust for the National Mall in 2013.
“When I heard that some of the trees would be replaced, as President Biden mentioned earlier, I decided to send 250 new cherry trees to commemorate the upcoming 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States.”
As the Trust works with the National Park Service to prepare the National Mall to play center stage for the grand celebration of the 250th anniversary of American independence in 2026, we are grateful for the growing support of our partners like the nation of Japan. This gift is a recognition of the National Mall's historic purpose in our nation.
Our work to restore, preserve and elevate this treasured space takes on new and pressing meaning for 2026. To be the first to hear about our plans to commemorate America’s 250 on the National Mall, sign up for updates here.
From left to right: United States Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel; Trust for the National Mall President and CEO Catherine Townsend; National Mall and Memorial Parks Superintendent Jeff Reinbold; Yuko Kishida; Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida; D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser; National Park Service Director Charles F. Sams III; Deputy Secretary of State Kurt M. Campbell; National Mall and Memorial Parks Natural Resources Program Manager Leslie Frattaroli; National Mall and Memorial Parks Service Landscape Architect Brian Flynn.
Photo by the National Park Service
Twice daily, many of the cherry trees on the Tidal Basin are flooded with water from the failing Tidal Basin seawalls. The long-planned reconstruction project will help address this harmful flooding that causes cherry tree rot, decay and removal. Support our Adopt-A-Cherry-Tree campaign and help ensure the blooming of the Cherry Blossoms, a storied Washington D.C. tradition, will continue for generations to come. Thank you to all who have supported the trees this season.