Cherry Blossom Festival in Amstelveen

In het Amsterdamse Bos werd op woensdag 5 april 2006 het Cherry Blossom Festival (kersenbloesemfestival) gehouden. Het festival werd voor de zesde keer door de gemeenten Amstelveen, Amsterdam, Haarlemmermeer, Almere en de Japanse ambassade georganiseerd en is ontstaan ter viering van de betrekkingen tussen Nederland en Japan.

(GA collectie - 2006)

Affiche van het Cherry Blossom Festival 2006

(Amstelveenweb.com collectie - 2006)

Loco-burgemeester dhr Tiemessen met de gasten

(Amstelveenweb.com collectie - 2006)

De brug naar het festival

(Amstelveenweb.com collectie - 2006)

Hon. consul Mr. S. van Valkenburg tijdens zijn toespraak

(Amstelveenweb.com collectie - 2006)

De Taiko drummers creeerden een aparte sfeer

(Amstelveenweb.com collectie - 2006)

De ambassadeur van Japan in Nederland de heer Kyoji Komachi met burgemeester van Amstelveen Jan van Zanen en burgemeester van Almere, mevrouw A. Jorritsma-Lebbink

(Amstelveenweb.com collectie - 2006)

Mevrouw Jorritsma, burgemeester van Almere tijdens haar speech

(Amstelveenweb.com collectie - 2006)

Het Japanse publiek luistert aandachtig naar de sprekers

(Amstelveenweb.com collectie - 2006)

De twee burgemeesters controleren de groei van de kersenbloemen

(Amstelveenweb.com collectie - 2006)

De kersenbloesem

Het doel van het festival was door het koude weer nog niet helemaal in volle glorie te zien

The speech of Mr. Jan van Zanen, Mayor of Amstelveen

Konnichi wa!

Ladies and gentlemen,

1. mr. Komachi, ambassador


2. mr. Otski (the Japanese Chamber of Commerce)


3. mr. Van Valkenburg (honorair consul)


4. professor Van Gulik (hoogleraar Universiteit van Leiden, Oost-Aziatische Kunst en Materiële Cultuur)


5. the mayors of Almere and Haarlemmermeer: mrs Jorritsma and mr Hertog

Welcome to Amstelveen’s city hall where we are celebrating the sixth Cherry Blossom Festival!

What makes this year’s Cherry Blossom Festival so special is that we are joined by a new municipality: the municipality of Haarlemmermeer. A very special welcome to them. Moreover, this is the first time that I will be celebrating sakura as the new mayor of Amstelveen. As the mayor of the municipality accommodating the largest community of Japanese in the Netherlands, I am particularly pleased with the participation of the municipalities of Almere, Amsterdam and Haarlemmermeer.

Their input makes this Cherry Blossom Festival a fully-fledged regional event, further defining the regional approach to our economic activities.  Our ties with the Japanese business community and the Japanese who live in our region,  go beyond merely economic ties. There are many relations in the field of culture, science and sports, too.

Ladies and gentlemen,

As you are no doubt aware, in October 2000 The Japan Women’s Club in Amstelveen donated 400 cherry blossom trees to the Dutch population. To celebrate 400 years of Japanese-Dutch relations. I have no doubt that the cherry blossom trees in Japan are in full bloom already.  But as we have seen in previous years, the Dutch climate doesn’t always favour the Cherry Blossom Festival.  Again, temperatures today are chilly. (It feels like autumn rather than spring.)

And unfortunately, you will have noticed that the trees are not yet in bloom. But the trees are budding, symbolising the promise of blossom and the arrival of spring.  And it’s only a matter of time before we will be able to admire the trees in full bloom, too.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am proud to find so many organisations willing to contribute to this event: the Japanese embassy, the Japanese Chamber of Commerce,  the Japan Women’s Club, the municipalities of Almere, Amsterdam, Haarlemmermeer and Amstelveen, and the Netherlands-Japan Association.

I therefore consider it a great privilege to meet here in Amstelveen to emphasise the extraordinary ties that exist between Japan and the Netherlands.  To speak with each other about life, about family, about culture, about entrepreneurship, about cooperation and about mutual understanding and respect.

It is important that we continue to meet on a regular basis, to build bridges where necessary, but most of all to invest in close personal relationships. These will allow us to cooperate intensively and to create and maintain a perfect mutual understanding.

So ladies and gentlemen,

Thank you for coming and being our guest!