On June 1, St. Croix’s Alessandra María Evangelista, the 2024 U.S. Cherry Blossom Queen, arrived in Tokyo, Japan, commencing her goodwill ambassador tour across the island country.
Welcomed by the Japan Sakura Foundation at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport with traditional green tea and local Japanese delicacies, Evangelista began an enriching, nearly three-week journey filled with significant meetings and engagements, according to the press release.
In 1909, at the behest of Tokyo’s Mayor Yukio Ozaki, Japan gifted 3,000 cherry blossom trees to the United States in a symbolic effort to strengthen ties between the two countries. Today, Japan remains one of the most important US allies and together, maintain a strong economic and cultural relationship. This relationship is celebrated between the Japan Sakura Foundation and the U.S. National Conference of State Societies Cherry Blossom Princess program, the press release stated.
The U.S. Cherry Blossom Princess program is not a beauty pageant but rather a program under NCSS chartered in 1952 under Public Law 82-293 by Congress to promote peace, friendship, and cultural awareness between the two countries. The accomplished young women are selected from each of the 50 states and territories based on their academic achievement, interpersonal communication skills, public service, leadership ability and interest in social, civic, community and world affairs. They spend a week in Washington, DC
participating in educational, leadership, and cultural activities as they serve their respective state or territory in a “Washington classroom” by introducing the participants to many government officials, cultural, military, and business leaders, as well as female role models who work in the nation’s capital, the release stated.
In Tokyo, Alessandra met with several high-profile dignitaries, including Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, to whom she delivered a letter from U.S. President Joseph Biden. She was hosted at the American Embassy in Japan by United States Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emmanuel. Speaker of the House of Representatives Fukushiro Nukaga, the honorary chair of the Sakura Foundation of Japan, hosted a welcome reception at the Speaker of
the House official residence with other Members of the House, it said.
“Let us continue to strive to be global citizens, aware and engaged with the world around us, promoting peace, understanding, and cooperation across borders,” the U.S. Cherry Blossom Queen shared.
She also had the opportunity to meet with the governor of Tokyo, Yuriko Koike, the first female governor elected in 2016. She was re-elected in 2020, and on July 7, she was re-elected by a 60 percent margin; her win signifies a shift in Japan’s typical male-dominated political landscape, according to the release.
Evangelista also had the pleasure of being received by Her Imperial Highness Princess Kako of Akishino, second daughter of Crown Prince Fumihito of Akishino and niece of Emperor Naruhito, at the Akasaka Estate where she lives.
“I found her to be affable and personable as we chatted in both English and Japanese about the NCSS Princess program. She also expressed interest in visiting Washington, DC, during cherry blossom season,” Evangelista stated.
Following her engagements in Tokyo, Evangelista traveled to Ise City in Mie Prefecture at the invitation of the Gakudo Kofu Organization. Gakudo Kofu, headed by President Takako Doi-San, is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting educational and exchange programs to foster international cooperation and friendship. Ise holds historical significance due to its deep connections to the first gift of cherry blossom trees to the United States and its association with Mayor of Tokyo Yukio Ozaki, who hailed from Ise City, a key figure in Japan’s transition from feudalism to democracy. In Ise, Evangelista planted a commemorative cherry blossom tree in Asamayama Park. In honor of the 30th anniversary of Gakudo Kofu, a special cherry blossom tree named “Yokowazakura” was chosen. It has petals that are 2 to 3 times the size of Yoshino cherry trees. The color is a deep pink and each flower has a large number of petals, the release stated.
Evangelista was also formally invited to visit Mikimoto Pearl Island founded by Kokichi Mikimoto. He was an ardent supporter of Mayor Ozaki and credited with creating the first cultured pearl. Noboru Shibahara-San, director of Mikimoto Pearl Island Co., Ltd for 30 years, welcomed the delegation to the island with a tour of the museum and lunch. “Afterward, I was privileged to witness the pearl harvesting demonstration of all-female diver known as Ama. Shibahara-San then presented the freshly harvested pearls to the Cherry Blossom Queen and her NCSS Director and chaperone, Angela Osborne.”
Earlier in the day, Alessandra had the opportunity to meet with students at the local Kogakkan Junior High School. Greeted by a welcome banner and many students waving Japanese and American flags. “I was so touched that they played the Star Spangled Banner at the beginning of the program and then proceeded to play the U.S. Virgin Islands March “All Hail the Virgin Islands,” the territory where I was born and represented in the U.S. Cherry Blossom program. I enjoyed watching a leido presentation and koto performance and was even taught to play “Sakura Sakura” on the koto; Sakura means “cherry blossoms” in Japanese.
In a Q+A session, Evangelista was able to share her impressions of Ise and how the topography, nature, infrastructure, and the warmth of the people reminded her of home, the U.S. Virgin Islands. “One of my favorite memories of my time in Japan was visiting with the students and interacting with them.”
The governor of Mie Prefecture, Katsuyuki Ichimi-San, received the 2024 U.S. Cherry Blossom Queen at the Mie Prefecture office in Tsu. During their meeting, he shared the importance of the cherry blossom trees to their history and to the relationship between both nations, the release stated.
Evangelista was invited to meet with the Mayor of Ise City, Kenichi Suzuki-San, at city hall, where, after a warm welcome, they exchanged gifts. She also presented Mayor Suzuki with a letter on behalf of Mayor Muriel Bowser of Washington, DC. Evangelista gifted a USVI Mocko Jumbie lapel pin to Mayor Su Zuki and explained the meaning behind it. Traditionally, moko jumbies bestow blessings upon those in their presence and ward off evil spirits, to which, as a politician, he replied, “I definitely need it!” He then proceeded to quickly pin it on his lapel, it said.
A highlight of her visit was participating in a special worship ceremony at the Ise Jingu Grand Shrine, Japan’s most important shrine, an honor reserved only for dignitaries and members of the Imperial Family. The Ise Grand Shrine is a symbol of Japan’s value for the divine and its commitment to preserving ancient Shinto traditions and considered the nation’s spiritual home, the release stated.
The visit was an opportunity to get in touch with the heart and soul of the Japanese people. It is dedicated to Amaterasu Ōmikami, the sun goddess and traditional progenitor of the Japanese imperial family and attracts millions of visitors and pilgrims each year. “I was able to to experience a temizuya at the entrance to the shrine’s innermost grounds and used to purify the body before entering. You wash your hands, mouth and mind with cool, flowing water in an act of ritual purification.”
The final destination of Evangelista’s tour was Shizuoka City in Shizuoka Prefecture. Here, she visited the National Agriculture and Food Research Organization, where she learned about the meticulous care taken to ensure the health of the cherry blossom trees gifted to the United States. It is the research laboratory where the Tidal Basin’s original cherry blossom trees were developed, the release stated.
She also explored Shizuoka’s Sengen Shrine and participated in an ancient Shinto offering to Kami. Additionally, Evangelista experienced the art of green tea during a traditional tea ceremony and paid respects at a historical site by watering a dogwood tree planted with an American bourbon bottle, the only surviving object from a WWII B-29 bomber crash that claimed the lives of both civilians and American soldiers, it said.
She also met with the Mayor of Shizuoka City, Takashi Namba-San, and the recently elected governor of Shizuoka Prefecture, Yasutomo Suzuki-San, who came into office on May 26, it said.
As the 2024 U.S. Cherry Blossom Queen, Evangelista paid courtesy calls to the ANA Airways corporate office to thank them for their sponsorship and Ralph Lauren, according to the release.
Evangelista’s tour of Japan as the 2024 Cherry Blossom Queen has not only strengthened
the bonds between Japan and the United States but also celebrated the rich cultural heritage shared by both nations. These important meetings highlighted the enduring commitment to peace between Japan and the United States to friendship as well as areas of mutual collaboration between the two nations, it said.
At each of her engagements, she also shared her U.S. Virgin Islands culture with those she encountered by teaching them the iconic Virgin Islands hand sign and gifting lapel pins from the USVI Tourism Department with the iconic moko jumble symbol.
“I appreciated the cultural exchange and want to impart the beauty of Japanese culture I was privileged to witness and share in. The foods, cultural presentations, and sights. Their deep respect for community and appreciation for traditions that date back thousands of years,” Evangelista said.
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