Hanami Program 2026

Cherry Blossom Festival

Hanami is a Japanese tradition in which people gather to enjoy the blooming of cherry blossoms, also known as sakura. On Sunday 22 March 2026, Wereldmuseum Leiden celebrates Hanami with a varied programme for all ages. The cherry trees at the entrance were gifted to the museum by Japan many years ago. In Japan, the blossom symbolises impermanence, new beginnings and appreciating the present moment.

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Met je bijdrage ondersteun je ons educatief aanbod, tentoonstellingen en publieksprogramma's, maar ook onderzoek en restauratie. Jouw donatie, klein of groot, is ontzettend waardevol.

View the program

In fine weather, you can admire the beautiful pale pink blossom and enjoy a picnic beneath the trees while sampling Japanese cuisine.

Browse the market stalls offering authentic Japanese dishes and tea, and discover distinctive Japanese pottery, ceramics and wishing stones. Fashion lovers can explore stalls featuring beautiful kimono. Be surprised by music from DJ Yuki Hoshi, who plays rare Japanese vinyl and city pop beneath the blossoming cherry trees.

Take part in workshops where you can try traditional Japanese art forms such as kirigami, oshibana and haiku. Admire live calligraphy and discover the symbolism of flowers and plants during a guided tour of the museum.

Practical information

Date: Sunday 22 March
Time: 10:00 – 17:00
Location: Wereldmuseum Leiden
Access
- Market: free entry
- Indoor programme: accessible with a valid museum admission ticket
Please note: some activities require a reservation and an additional fee

Market Food & Non-food

At the market during the Hanami Festival, you can enjoy Japanese delicacies such as okonomiyaki, bowls, mochi and matcha-inspired treats, and discover a wide range of Japanese teas and different types of matcha. You will also find non-food items, including unique Japanese pottery, ceramics and lacquerware, as well as wishing stones, Japanese incense and mizuhiki accessories. Fashion lovers can browse stalls featuring beautiful kimono and other distinctive Japanese items.

10:00–17:00 | Outdoor area | No museum admission required

Music | DJ Yuki Hoshi

DJ Yuki Hoshi plays exclusively Japanese vinyl. Yuki means snow. Hoshi means star. Snowstar Records label manager Cedric Muyres began sharing his collection of undiscovered Japanese gems and city pop hits on Stranded FM Utrecht during lockdown. Festivals such as Best Kept Secret and Camera Japan soon followed.

13:00–17:00 | Outdoor area | No museum admission required

Workshop | Kirigami Sakura Pop-Up Card

Kirigami is the Japanese art of cutting and folding. While origami is limited to folding, kirigami opens up the paper through carefully placed cuts. This creates three-dimensional forms that emerge from the flat surface of the paper. During this workshop, you will create a beautiful cherry blossom branch, with each flower brought to life through precision and care. Step by step, an elegant branch full of blossoms will take shape.

11:00–16:30 | Workshop space | Continuous, you can join if space is available | Ages 8+ or ages 6+ with adult supervision | Free

Gallery Story | When the Sakura Bloom

Join this special reading moment from the beautifully illustrated picture book When the Sakura Bloom. This warm and contemplative story about the beauty of cherry blossom is told through a kamishibai: a storytelling frame in which images appear as you listen. Japanese storytellers once travelled by bicycle with these to entertain audiences of all ages.

12:00–12:15
14:15–14:30
15:45–16:00

Japan Gallery | You can join if space is available | All ages | Free

Children’s Workshop | Oshibana

By Hiroshi Sakai
During this workshop, you will discover Oshibana, a special Japanese art form using real flowers. The flowers are first dried and pressed so they can be preserved for a long time. “Oshi” means pressing and “Bana” means flower. Using these flowers, you will create your own artwork inspired by your imagination and the Sakura (cherry blossom) theme. Step by step, you will create a cheerful and colourful floral artwork to be proud of.

12:30–13:15 | Studio I Maximum 20 participants | Ages 8+ or ages 6+ with adult supervision | English-language

Price: €2.50 (registration details to follow)

Workshop | Oshibana

By Hiroshi Sakai

Discover Oshibana, a refined Japanese art form in which real flowers are dried and pressed to preserve their beauty over time. The name Oshibana comes from the Japanese words “Oshi” (pressing) and “Bana” (flower). The result is a refined and personal artwork created with natural materials. In this workshop for adults, you will work with pressed flowers and create a laminated floral artwork.

13:45–14:45 | Studio | Maximum 20 participants | Adults | English-language

Price: €5.00 (registration details to follow)

Guided Tour | Blossoms, Flowers and Plant Motifs in the Collection

A museum educator will guide you past the ever-blooming blossoms and flowers in the museum’s collection. Flowers and plants often carry symbolic or medicinal meanings. You will discover this and much more during this special Hanami-themed guided tour.

12:30–13:15
14:45–15:30

Meet in the entrance hall | Maximum 15 participants | Adults | Free

Workshop | Haiku

By Haiku Kern Leiden

Join the haiku workshop and discover the Japanese way of poetry. Brief yet powerful, a haiku consists of just three lines. The first and third lines contain five syllables, and the second line contains seven. Haiku experts from Haiku Kern Leiden will guide you in composing your poem. Be inspired by the sakura at the museum and create your own haiku.

15:15–16:15 | Small hall | 20 participants | Adults

Price: €2.50 (registration details to follow)

Performance | Lanka Calligraphy

Lanka is a calligraphy artist whose live performances explore the roots of the Japanese spirit through movement, ink and impermanence. Calligraphy is more than writing – it is movement, breath and reflection. As the ink flows, Lanka invites you not only to observe the character, but also the rhythm, the silence and the moment we share. During Hanami, her art takes on special meaning. Like cherry blossoms, Lanka’s work emerges in the moment and then disappears, making each performance unique and temporary.

15:00–15:15 | Outdoor area | You can join if space is available | All ages | Free

Workshop | Ikabana

By Noriko van Lit-Suzuki
Ikebana in Holland
Ikebana Ohara School

Ikebana is the traditional Japanese art of flower arrangement that highlights the beauty of flowers. This art form has a history of over 600 years in Japan. In Ikebana, great care is given to the composition. Each flower and stem is thoughtfully considered to create perfect balance within the arrangement.

There are different Ikebana schools (styles), each with its own rules and guidance for composition. In this workshop, you will create an arrangement following the principles of the Ikebana Ohara School. You may take your flowers home afterwards.

10:30–11:30 | Studio | Maximum 16 participants | Ages 15+

Price: €10.50 (registration details to follow)

Hanami Program 2026