Portland event honors Henry Sakamoto during cherry blossom season
Published 4:00 am Saturday, March 7, 2026
As many anticipate the blooming of cherry blossoms along the Tom McCall Waterfront Park, a new Portland event will celebrate both the arrival of spring and the legacy of a key figure in the city’s Japanese American history.
“New Bloom,” hosted by p:ear, will bring together art, coffee, flowers and community storytelling in a seasonal gathering inspired by the city’s iconic cherry trees on Thursday, March 12, from 2-5 p.m. The event also honors the life and legacy of Henry Sakamoto, whose work helped shape Portland’s waterfront and preserve the history of Japanese Americans in the region.
The event will showcase work created by youth participating in p:ear’s workforce development programs. Visitors can expect cherry blossom–themed drinks prepared by youth baristas from the CoffeeWorks program, seasonal baked goods and a large floral installation featuring cherry branches created by the FlowerWorks program. Artwork inspired by spring and the blossoms will also be on display through p:ear’s ArtWorks program.
The celebration arrives at a meaningful moment for the community following the recent passing of Sakamoto, who died last December at age 97.
Born in Portland in 1927 to Japanese immigrant parents, Sakamoto was forced into an internment camp with his family during World War II when he was 15. After the war, he attended Ohio Wesleyan University, later served in the military and earned a business degree from the University of Oregon.
He eventually became a civic leader in Portland and played a key role in creating the Japanese American Historical Plaza along the waterfront. Dedicated in 1990, the plaza commemorates families from across the West Coast who were forcibly incarcerated during World War II.
Sakamoto also helped organize the donation of 100 Akebono cherry trees that line the waterfront today — trees he once described as symbols of international friendship and resilience.
For organizers at p:ear, the connection between Sakamoto’s story and the youth served by the organization is especially powerful.
“Henry Sakamoto was a pretty incredible figure,” Marianne Copene, program director for the FlowerWorks program at p:ear., said in a statement. “He went into the internment camp at 15 and came out right around the time the youth come out of our program, so it’s been powerful to reflect on how he moved through that experience and the gift he gave to this community.”
Founded in 2002, p:ear works with young people experiencing homelessness, providing education, art programs and job training opportunities. The nonprofit serves more than 800 youth ages 15 to 25 each year.
Organizers said the event is meant to capture the same spirit as the cherry blossoms themselves — a moment of reflection, renewal and community connection at the start of spring in Portland.
IF YOU GO
What: New Bloom, a celebration of the life and legacy of Henry Sakamoto
When: Thursday, March 12, from 2-5 p.m.
Where: p:ear gallery, 338 N.W. Sixth Ave., Portland
For more, visit pearmentor.org.
