We held the "46th Annual Cherry Blossom Viewing Party".

The 46th Cherry Blossom Viewing Party was held on Saturday, April 4 at the University Global Square. On the day of the event, faculty and staff, students, and the general public participated. In addition, many guests attended, including Shen Qingqing, chairman of the Beijing Dalan Xiangyu Charitable Foundation in China.

"Zhou Sakura" has been blooming and fragrant on campus for half a century as a symbol of friendship between Japan and China. In 1974, when the founder, Dr. Daisaku Ikeda, said, "I will go to Japan again when the cherry blossoms bloom," Chinese Premier Zhou, who was battling an illness, replied, "I have a desire, but it will be impossible." Inheriting Prime Minister Zhou's desire for peace, in 1975, six Chinese government-sponsored students accepted by our university for the first time in Japan planted a "Zhou cherry tree" sapling. After that, the "Cherry Blossom Viewing Party" was held every spring, and this year marked the 46th time.

Following the opening remarks by the Director of the Chinese Studies Association, President Mika Suzuki introduced the guests and said, "I would like to learn from the friendship between the founder, Dr. Ikeda, and Prime Minister Zhou, and make the Zhou Cherry Blossom Viewing a place to pledge friendship between Japan and China." After a club performance by the vocal group, performances of traditional Chinese performing arts such as "Mask" and "Mother" were performed. After that, all the participants sang "Cherry Blossom Edge" in chorus.

Finally, Yoshihide Akiya mentioned that this year marks the 55th anniversary of the founding of the company, and said, "We will continue to inherit the spirit of friendship between Japan and China and continue to work to produce global citizens who are the bearers of peace in today's era of intensifying divisions and conflicts."

46th Annual Cherry Blossom Viewing Party (April 4, 2026) | Digest | Soka University