Another great place to get a little slice of Japan outside of Japan (hence getting the Japan experience more cheaply!!) is the simply wonderful Fairmount Park in Philadelphia, PA. Fairmount Park has a lot of beautiful cherry blossoms and there are a lot of fun events to be held as well.
Check out the events schedule for the 2009 Subaru Cherry Blossom Festival of Greater Philadelphia for schedules and events!
Also check out the video on the page above which features Philadelphia’s Mayor Nutter banging on the Taiko drums!