Shofuso Japanese Cultural Center Season Reopening and Spring 2021 Highlights Recovery and Renewal at Philadelphia’s Hidden Gem in Fairmount Park
Tweet this: Starting 3/20 @shofuso opens for visits + @phillysakura cherry blossom viewings #SpringStartsatShofuso japanphilly.org
The Japan America Society of Greater Philadelphia welcomes Philadelphians to recover and renew by visiting Shofuso Japanese Cultural Center this spring. A hidden gem in Fairmount Park, Shofuso is ready to receive visitors safely, all while enjoying the beauty of the blooms to come. The house and garden will open for the 2021 season on Saturday, March 20, in time for Cherry Blossom season. The site will be open for visitation Wednesday through Sunday, 11 am to 5 pm, through December 12, 2021.
New for 2021, visitors will see the just-completed Pebble Beach alongside the central pond. Based on newly-discovered 1957 drawings made by Shofuso’s original garden designer, Tansai Sano, Shofuso brought to life a traditional Su-hama Pebble Beach on the garden’s boat-landing shoreline. This archetypal Japanese Garden motif invokes the spirit of the pebble strewn shorelines of Kyoto’s Kamo River and the rocky coasts of Japan, by incorporating elegantly designed stretches of pebbled beach along a garden pond’s lowest contours.
Special Events of the 2021 Spring Season
To celebrate the start of the 2021 spring season, JASGP is conducting the Shofuso Cherry Blossom Viewing, which includes both socially-distanced activities and virtual programming throughout April 2021. From a Virtual Marketplace to a Cherry Blossom Viewing and Virtual Ohanami, plus a virtual 10K, there are a number of ways to recover and renew while enjoying Shofuso’s beauty this spring.
Shofuso Cherry Blossom Viewing: Virtual Marketplace
March 20 through April 18
Vendors selling Japanese or Japan inspired goods/services will be linked to the japanphilly.org website.
New for 2021, visitors will see the just-completed Pebble Beach alongside the central pond. Based on newly-discovered 1957 drawings made by Shofuso’s original garden designer, Tansai Sano, Shofuso brought to life a traditional Su-hama Pebble Beach on the garden’s boat-landing shoreline. This archetypal Japanese Garden motif invokes the spirit of the pebble strewn shorelines of Kyoto’s Kamo River and the rocky coasts of Japan, by incorporating elegantly designed stretches of pebbled beach along a garden pond’s lowest contours.
Special Events of the 2021 Spring Season
To celebrate the start of the 2021 spring season, JASGP is conducting the Shofuso Cherry Blossom Viewing, which includes both socially-distanced activities and virtual programming throughout April 2021. From a Virtual Marketplace to a Cherry Blossom Viewing and Virtual Ohanami, plus a virtual 10K, there are a number of ways to recover and renew while enjoying Shofuso’s beauty this spring.
Shofuso Cherry Blossom Viewing: Virtual Marketplace
March 20 through April 18
Vendors selling Japanese or Japan inspired goods/services will be linked to the japanphilly.org website.
Shofuso Cherry Blossom In-Person Viewing
Estimated to take place in early April
Every year when the cherry trees bloom, friends and family gather under the blossoms to have flower-
viewing picnics, called Ohanami in Japan. Pick up a Philadelphia Cherry Blossom Ohanami map at Shofuso (or download it from japanphilly.org) and plan an Ohanami picnic to enjoy the simple pleasure of sitting outdoors and watching the delicate petals float on the spring breeze while enjoying fresh air under the blooming cherry trees around Philadelphia.
NEW for 2021, Japanese artist Hiro Sakaguchi hand-painted a new map of Philadelphia Cherry Blossom Ohanami – helping visitors find Cherry Blossoms throughout Fairmount Park as well as other spots around the City of Philadelphia. Sakaguchi was born in Nagano, Japan and moved to the United States in the 1990s to study art at the University of the Arts (BFA) and PAFA (MFA). Sakaguchi has had over 35 solo and group exhibitions, having shown at various venues locally and internationally, and is also a curator. He is an instructor at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. The map will be available for pick-up at Shofuso and sold as a 14” x 21” poster in the gift shop.
Flowering cherry trees have been a symbol of friendship between Philadelphia and Japan since 1,600 cherry trees were gifted from Japan to Philadelphia in 1926 to commemorate the American Sesquicentennial. In 1933, Japanese residents of the Philadelphia region gifted an additional 500 cherry trees and planted them alongside John B. Kelly Drive. The Japan America Society of Greater Philadelphia organized a planting of 1,000 new cherry trees in Philadelphia between 1998 and 2007. JASGP has been working with neighborhood communities continuously since 2008 to plant cherry trees in Clark Park, Franklin Square, and Morris Park to help build green and peaceful urban communities.
Shofuso Cherry Blossom Virtual Ohanami
Saturday, April 10, 10 am – 11 am
$15/ $10 for JASGP Members
Spring starts at Shofuso with this Ohanami program, live from Shofuso, and will include a beautiful presentation of ohanami or cherry blossom appreciation, Tamagawa University taiko performance (pre-recorded in Japan), activities, demonstrations, and crafts that highlight cherry blossom culture. This event is dedicated to Abana Jacobs, a colleague lost to COVID-19 in 2020 who worked with JASGP on the Subaru Cherry Blossom Festivals for many years.
11th Annual Shofuso Cherry Blossom 10k/5k
April 10 through April 18
$45 race fee
This year, the Annual Cherry Blossom 10K/5K will be virtual. Upon registration through RunSignUp. runners can complete their distances on their own schedule at the sanctioned course among the cherry trees near Shofuso, on their regular training courses, on a treadmill, or anywhere that feels right. Between Saturday, April 10 and Sunday, April 18, participants will complete the run/walk, submit their time, and tag Shofuso in selfies taken along the way or at the finish with the hashtag #CherryBlossom10K or #SpringStartsatShofuso.
All participants will receive a beautiful cherry blossom race t-shirt, a route map with selfie locations marked, a Japanese pump-up playlist, as well as free admission to Shofuso during the 2021 season. Prizes will be awarded for winners in fun selfie categories: Cutest pet, Most glamorous outfit, Most beautiful background, Silliest outfit, Most scenic route. The program is sponsored by Mentholatum, Philadelphia Insurance Companies, KPMG, Maido! and AGC. Registration ends at midnight on April 17.
Health and Safety Protocols at Shofuso
The health and safety of visitors and staff is Shofuso’s top priority. Along with being an open-air outdoor space, JASGP follows guidance from the CDC and the City of Philadelphia to limit the spread of COVID-19:
● Site capacity is strictly controlled with a one in, one out policy and separate entrance and exit areas.
● Face coverings are required at all times for both guests and staff.
● Guests are requested to maintain 6 feet of distance between themselves and others.
● The doors acting as the walls of the house are removed daily, providing extra airflow throughout Shofuso.
● Visitors can view, but not enter, closed-in spaces such as the tea house and bath house.
● A one-way path has been established inside the house.
● Hand sanitizer stations are in place at both the site entrance and exit.
● Tickets can also be purchased online for contactless admission.
Group tours: The Japanese Cultural Center is open for group tours Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays, March through October. Scheduled group tours are available for groups of 5 to 12 people, plus 1 additional chaperone for school groups. For regular admission visitors, pick up tours are available, subject to staff availability. Virtual tours are also scheduled seasonally via Zoom.
Japan America Society of Greater Philadelphia (JASGP) is a private nonprofit organization that has connected Philadelphia and Japan since 1982 through art, business, and culture. JASGP operates Shofuso, produces Shofuso Cherry Blossom Viewing, and presents the US-Japan Business & Public Policy program, as well as other arts, business, culture, and educational programming for all ages. For more information, visit japanphilly.org.
Shofuso Japanese Cultural Center is a traditional Japanese house and garden located in West Fairmount Park. Shofuso is open for weekday admissions to the public from March 20 to October 31, Wednesdays through Sundays from 11 am to 5 pm. Adult admission is $12; senior citizens, students with ID and children ages 5-17 admission is $8; ACCESS card holders’ admission is $2; and JASGP members, active duty military with ID and children under 5 are admitted free. Shofuso is located at Horticultural and Lansdowne Drs., Philadelphia, PA 19131. For more information, including special hours, advance ticket purchases, and admission rates, visit japanphilly.org.
Estimated to take place in early April
Every year when the cherry trees bloom, friends and family gather under the blossoms to have flower-
viewing picnics, called Ohanami in Japan. Pick up a Philadelphia Cherry Blossom Ohanami map at Shofuso (or download it from japanphilly.org) and plan an Ohanami picnic to enjoy the simple pleasure of sitting outdoors and watching the delicate petals float on the spring breeze while enjoying fresh air under the blooming cherry trees around Philadelphia.
NEW for 2021, Japanese artist Hiro Sakaguchi hand-painted a new map of Philadelphia Cherry Blossom Ohanami – helping visitors find Cherry Blossoms throughout Fairmount Park as well as other spots around the City of Philadelphia. Sakaguchi was born in Nagano, Japan and moved to the United States in the 1990s to study art at the University of the Arts (BFA) and PAFA (MFA). Sakaguchi has had over 35 solo and group exhibitions, having shown at various venues locally and internationally, and is also a curator. He is an instructor at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. The map will be available for pick-up at Shofuso and sold as a 14” x 21” poster in the gift shop.
Flowering cherry trees have been a symbol of friendship between Philadelphia and Japan since 1,600 cherry trees were gifted from Japan to Philadelphia in 1926 to commemorate the American Sesquicentennial. In 1933, Japanese residents of the Philadelphia region gifted an additional 500 cherry trees and planted them alongside John B. Kelly Drive. The Japan America Society of Greater Philadelphia organized a planting of 1,000 new cherry trees in Philadelphia between 1998 and 2007. JASGP has been working with neighborhood communities continuously since 2008 to plant cherry trees in Clark Park, Franklin Square, and Morris Park to help build green and peaceful urban communities.
Shofuso Cherry Blossom Virtual Ohanami
Saturday, April 10, 10 am – 11 am
$15/ $10 for JASGP Members
Spring starts at Shofuso with this Ohanami program, live from Shofuso, and will include a beautiful presentation of ohanami or cherry blossom appreciation, Tamagawa University taiko performance (pre-recorded in Japan), activities, demonstrations, and crafts that highlight cherry blossom culture. This event is dedicated to Abana Jacobs, a colleague lost to COVID-19 in 2020 who worked with JASGP on the Subaru Cherry Blossom Festivals for many years.
11th Annual Shofuso Cherry Blossom 10k/5k
April 10 through April 18
$45 race fee
This year, the Annual Cherry Blossom 10K/5K will be virtual. Upon registration through RunSignUp. runners can complete their distances on their own schedule at the sanctioned course among the cherry trees near Shofuso, on their regular training courses, on a treadmill, or anywhere that feels right. Between Saturday, April 10 and Sunday, April 18, participants will complete the run/walk, submit their time, and tag Shofuso in selfies taken along the way or at the finish with the hashtag #CherryBlossom10K or #SpringStartsatShofuso.
All participants will receive a beautiful cherry blossom race t-shirt, a route map with selfie locations marked, a Japanese pump-up playlist, as well as free admission to Shofuso during the 2021 season. Prizes will be awarded for winners in fun selfie categories: Cutest pet, Most glamorous outfit, Most beautiful background, Silliest outfit, Most scenic route. The program is sponsored by Mentholatum, Philadelphia Insurance Companies, KPMG, Maido! and AGC. Registration ends at midnight on April 17.
Health and Safety Protocols at Shofuso
The health and safety of visitors and staff is Shofuso’s top priority. Along with being an open-air outdoor space, JASGP follows guidance from the CDC and the City of Philadelphia to limit the spread of COVID-19:
● Site capacity is strictly controlled with a one in, one out policy and separate entrance and exit areas.
● Face coverings are required at all times for both guests and staff.
● Guests are requested to maintain 6 feet of distance between themselves and others.
● The doors acting as the walls of the house are removed daily, providing extra airflow throughout Shofuso.
● Visitors can view, but not enter, closed-in spaces such as the tea house and bath house.
● A one-way path has been established inside the house.
● Hand sanitizer stations are in place at both the site entrance and exit.
● Tickets can also be purchased online for contactless admission.
Group tours: The Japanese Cultural Center is open for group tours Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays, March through October. Scheduled group tours are available for groups of 5 to 12 people, plus 1 additional chaperone for school groups. For regular admission visitors, pick up tours are available, subject to staff availability. Virtual tours are also scheduled seasonally via Zoom.
Japan America Society of Greater Philadelphia (JASGP) is a private nonprofit organization that has connected Philadelphia and Japan since 1982 through art, business, and culture. JASGP operates Shofuso, produces Shofuso Cherry Blossom Viewing, and presents the US-Japan Business & Public Policy program, as well as other arts, business, culture, and educational programming for all ages. For more information, visit japanphilly.org.
Shofuso Japanese Cultural Center is a traditional Japanese house and garden located in West Fairmount Park. Shofuso is open for weekday admissions to the public from March 20 to October 31, Wednesdays through Sundays from 11 am to 5 pm. Adult admission is $12; senior citizens, students with ID and children ages 5-17 admission is $8; ACCESS card holders’ admission is $2; and JASGP members, active duty military with ID and children under 5 are admitted free. Shofuso is located at Horticultural and Lansdowne Drs., Philadelphia, PA 19131. For more information, including special hours, advance ticket purchases, and admission rates, visit japanphilly.org.
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