米首都で３年ぶり桜祭り　マスク外し笑顔戻る

　【ワシントン時事】米首都ワシントンで２０日、春の風物詩「桜祭り」が始まった。新型コロナウイルスの影響で一昨年と昨年は対面のイベントがほぼなく、本格開催は３年ぶり。米国では新規感染者数の減少を受けてマスク着用義務がおおむね撤廃され、訪れた人々は強風の中、マスクを外し七分咲きの桜を満喫していた。
　市内の劇場で行われた開会式では、日本人アーティストらが民謡や太鼓のパフォーマンスを披露。冨田浩司駐米大使は「われわれが最も大切にする『自由』という価値の祝祭だ。思いは自由のために戦うウクライナの人々と共にある」とあいさつした。（2022/03/21-09:20）

The National Cherry Blossom Festival kicked off in Washington Sunday, with visitors enjoying viewing cherry trees in 70 pct bloom without wearing masks as mask mandates were mostly lifted in the United States amid a decrease of new COVID-19 infection cases.
   It is the first time in three years for the Japan-U.S. friendship festival to be held on a full scale, after most related face-to-face events were canceled in 2020 and 2021 due to the novel coronavirus pandemic.
   Some 3,000 cherry blossom trees along the Potomac River were donated by Tokyo in 1912 as a symbol of friendship. This year marks 110 years since the donation.
   In the opening ceremony of this year's festival, held at a theater in the U.S. capital, Japanese musicians, including a "taiko" Japanese drum player, and other artists attracted audiences with their performances.
   "This is a festival of a value called 'freedom,' which we cherish the most," Japanese Ambassador to the United States Koji Tomita said. "Our thoughts are with the people of Ukraine who are fighting for freedom."