Japan Gives Washington 250 Cherry Trees as Replacements

Japan will give the United States 250 cherry trees to replace more than 100 that will be uprooted during construction around the Tidal Basin in Washington, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced Wednesday.

The gift honors the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, which the United States will celebrate in 2026, Kishida said during a White House ceremony welcoming him for a state visit.

President Biden thanked Mr. Kishida for the cherry trees, which have become a symbol of the relationship between the United States and its longtime ally as well as a popular tourist attraction in the spring. The mayor of Tokyo gave Washington 3,000 non-U.S. trees in 1912.

“Just like our friendship, these trees are timeless, inspiring and thriving,” Mr. Biden said.

Mr. Biden said that after Mr. Kishida landed in the United States on Tuesday, the two leaders and the first lady, Jill Biden, walked across the White House grounds to admire several cherry trees, including a pair that part of the new gift and the one that Dr. Biden and Yuko Kishida, Mr. Kishida’s wife, had planted together last year as a token of friendship between nations. The president said more trees would be planted near the Martin Luther King Jr. memorial.

“These Japanese-born cherry trees have heralded the arrival of spring in the city every year for more than 110 years,” Mr. Kishida said.

He noted that the Somei Yoshino variety had a lifespan of about 60 years in Washington, but that the original trees had thrived for more than 100 years under the city’s care.

“Just as local residents have cherished and protected these cherry trees, relations between Japan and the United States have been supported and nurtured by many people who love their country,” Mr. Kishida said.

The 140 trees Washington is set to lose this year will be removed to build new, taller seawalls around the Tidal Basin to protect the Jefferson Memorial. Current sea walls were built in the 1800s and fell too low to be effective against tidal waves and storm surges.

Mr. Kishida is in Washington for a three-day state visit that will include a state dinner Wednesday evening and a meeting with Mr. Biden and the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., on Thursday. His visit comes at the height of spring in Washington and in the midst of the National Cherry Blossom Festival, held since 1935 to commemorate the original gift.

“Let me end with this,” said Mr. Biden, who wore a pair of aviator sunglasses in the bright sun. “It’s spring in Washington. The sun is shining. And every spring, cherry trees bloom in this city thanks to a donation from Japan of 3,000 cherry trees more than a century ago.