Cherry Blossom Concert: Ayaka Hirahara

Catch a smaller, more intimate concert by singer Ayaka Hirahara the night before she opens the National Cherry Blossom Festival! This event is presented in partnership with Japan Foundation New York.

Ayaka Hirahara debuted in 2003 with “Jupiter.” She has received high acclaim and numerous awards as a singer, including the Japan Record Awards for Artist Award and the Japan Gold Disc Award. All the while, she actively performs in diverse fields such as musicals, voice acting, dramas, and movie dubbing.

In 2015, she established the Ayaka Hirahara Jupiter Fund to contribute to society and provide various forms of support through music. She performed the national anthem at the opening match of Rugby World Cup 2019. Her musical theater credits include Love Never Dies, Beautiful, Mary Poppins, Fist of the North Star: Hokuto no Ken, and Moulin Rouge! The Musical. “Ayaka Hirahara Concert Tour 2024–2025 ~ The Swinging Classics! ~” was co-directed and produced with Masataka Matsutoya. She continues her concert tours annually.

Her latest single is the theme song for the 2025 Osaka-Kansai Expo Pavilion “PASONA NATUREVERSE”: “Thank You, Life / To the Future of 8 Billion.” Since her debut, she has released 35 singles, 12 digital singles, 29 albums (including cover albums and best-of compilations), 15 DVDs, and 6 Blu-rays.

About Japan Foundation New York:
The Japan Foundation was established in 1972 by special legislation in the Japanese Diet and became an Independent Administrative Institution in October 2003. The mission of the Japan Foundation is to promote international cultural exchange and mutual understanding between Japan and other countries.

About the Cherry Blossom Festival:
In Washington, DC, the cherry tree has become a cherished symbol of the friendship between Japan and the United States. It all began in 1912, when Washington saw the arrival of more than 3,000 Japanese cherry trees, the first two of which were planted in West Potomac Park by First Lady Helen Herron Taft and Viscountess Chinda, the wife of the ambassador of Japan to the United States. Since then, DC’s National Cherry Blossom Festival has grown to include many programs and events celebrating the beauty of nature, community spirit, and international friendship.
Image provided by Ayaka Hirahara