FEATURED EVENT
PRESERVING LEGACY (PART I) |
CHERRY BLOSSOM CONSERVATION LECTURE WITH LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT RON HENDERSON
Join us for an engaging lecture with distinguished landscape architect and artist Ron Henderson as he explores the cultural and ecological significance of cherry blossom trees in Japan and beyond.
As a Japan-U.S. Friendship Commission Creative Artist Fellow, Henderson followed the blossoming cherry trees from southern to northern Japan, capturing the horticultural traditions that sustain these trees. Although the practices differed by region, his travels revealed a common theme: the deep reverence for cherry blossoms as symbols of impermanence, renewal, and the fleeting beauty of life. His work is the subject of Sakura Orihon, a solo exhibition at the National Bonsai and Penjing Museum at the U.S. National Arboretum in Washington, D.C. Featuring thirteen folding sketchbooks (orihon)
In this presentation, Henderson will share stories from his fieldwork and highlight renowned cherry blossom sites in Japan like the Yamataka Jindai-Zakura in Yamanashi Prefecture—believed to be the world’s oldest living cherry tree. Henderson will also touch on his collaborations with master gardener FUJIMOTO Kurato and a dedicated team of specialists who restore historic cherry trees utilizing time honored techniques—such as yukitsuri (rope-tenting) and hōzue (brace/crutch).
This lecture is a part of our two-part Preserving Legacy: Lecture and Workshop(link to first page) series—a must-see for those interested in landscape architecture, Japanese cultural heritage, and environmental conservation.
LECTURE INFO
Tuesday, March 18, 2025
6:30PM EDT (Doors open at 6:00PM)
Located at the JICC
Send any inquiries to
jicc@ws.mofa.go.jp
ABOUT THE PRESENTER
Ron Henderson is a Professor of Landscape Architecture + Urbanism at the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago and the inaugural Director of Research for the Alphawood Arboretum at IIT. He is the founding principal of LIRIO Landscape Architecture, with projects in North America, Asia, and Europe. His notable works include the Gardens of the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum (Boston, MA), Newport Art Museum Campus (Newport, RI), Newport Spring Park (Newport, RI), Elizabethan Theater at Château d’Hardelot (Condette, France), and Memorial to the Abolition of the Slave Trade (Nantes, France).
Henderson is also the author of 30 Trees (Birkhäuser, 2023) and The Gardens of Suzhou (University of Pennsylvania Press).
PHOTO & VIDEO POLICY: The Japan Information & Culture Center (JICC), Embassy of Japan reserves the right to use any photograph/video taken at any event sponsored by JICC, without the expressed written permission of those included within the photograph/video. JICC may use the photograph/video in publications or other media material produced, used or contracted by JICC including but not limited to: brochures, invitations, newspapers, magazines, television, social media, websites, etc. To ensure the privacy of individuals and children, images will not be identified using full names or personal identifying information without written approval from the photographed subject, parent or legal guardian. A person attending a JICC event who does not wish to have their image recorded for distribution should make their wishes known to the photographer/videographer, and/or the event organizers.