How the Man Who Brought the Cherry Blossoms to Washington Narrowly Avoided a Diplomatic Crisis

To be a tourist visiting the annual cherry blossom festival in Washington, D.C. — which in 2018 will celebrate its official opening on March 25 — is to see one of the greatest displays of botanical enthusiasm on the planet. For two weekends each year, the Tidal Basin near the Washington Monument and Jefferson Memorial fills with people framing their best photo of the pink and white blooms all while waiting for everyone else to get out of their shot.