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>> I THOUGHT IT WAS A GREAT IDEA BECAUSE I LOVE CHERRY BLOSSOMS AND IT LOOKS BEAUTIFUL. >> THAT WOULD BE REALLY PRETTY. >> IT LOOKS REALLY NICE. I WOULD GO DOWN THERE. REPORTER: THE DELICATE PINK FLOWERS ONLY LAST A SHORT WHILE. THE CHERRY BLOSSOMS WILL FALL AWAY IN ABOUT A WEEK. >> THESE TREES ARE OBVIOUSLY BEAUTIFUL RIGHT NOW WHILE THEY’RE IN BLOOM. REPORTER: FOR ALMOST FIVE YEARS, THE SACRAMENTO TREE FOUNDATION HAS BEEN WORKING ON A PLAN TO PLANT MORE THAN 200 CHERRY TREES AT ROBERT MATSUI PARK. >> THEY WANTED TO CREATE A CHERRY TREE PARK LIKE YOU SEE IN WASHINGTON, D.C. REPORTER: SACRAMENTO CITY COUNCILMAN STEVE HANSEN SAYS THE BLOSSOMS WOULD BLOOM RIGHT NEXT TO THE PWERHOUSE SCIENCE CENTER ALONG THE RIVERFRONT. >> WE WANTED SOMETHING TO REAL ACCENTUATE WHEN YOU’RE DRIVING ON I-5. IF YOU’RE NOT NEXT TO THE RIVER, YOU COULD LOOK DOWN AND SEE THIS BEAUTIFUL PLACE THAT WOULD BECKON YOU, NOT ONLY OFF THE HIGHWAY, BUT OUT OF YOUR CAR A TO WALK AND ENJOY OUR CITY. >> THERE ARE ALREADY CHERRY BLOSSOMS BLOOMING IN SACRAMENTO. THESE WERE PLANTED IN SAKURA GROVE AT SOUTHSIDE PARK ABOUT TWO YEARS AGO AS A WAY TO CELEBRATE THE CITY’S JAPANESE CULTURE. >> THERE’S THIS LONG HERITAGE HERE BETWEEN THE JAPANESE AMERICAN COMMUNITY AND SACRAMENTO. REPORTER: SAKURA, THE JAPANESE WORD FOR A FLOWERING CHERRY TREE, BECAME PART OF THE CITY’ HISTORY. >> THE JAPANESE COMMUNITY, EARLY IN SACRAMENTO, INSTEAD OF CALLING IT SACRAMENTO, CALLED IT SAKURAMENTO. REPORTER: THE SACRAMENTO TREE FOUNDATION SAYS IT’S IN THE QUIET STAGES OF FUNDRAISING, AND ISN’T SAYING HOW MUCH THE PROJECT WILL COST, BUT SAY THE HANAMI LINE AT MATSUI PARK WILL BE PRIVATELY FUNDED. >> I THINK IT WOULD DEFINITELY DRAW MORE PEOPLE, YEAH. REPORTER: EMILY MAHER, KCR

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As cherry blossoms bloom at Southside Park in Midtown, the Sacramento Tree Foundation is working to brighten up the Riverfront with more of the trees, hoping to attract visitors.The foundation wants to create a Hanami Line at Matsui Park. Hanami is the Japanese word for the season when the trees are in bloom.“These trees are obviously beautiful right now, while they’re in bloom,” Sacramento City Councilmember Steve Hansen said.The delicate pink flowers will only last a short while. The blossoms will fall away in about a week.For almost five years, the Sacramento Tree Foundation has been working on a plan to plant more than 200 cherry trees at Robert Matsui Park. “They wanted to create a cherry tree park like you see in Washington, D.C.,” Hansen said.The blossoms would bloom right next to the Powerhouse Science Center along the Riverfront.“We wanted something to really accentuate when you’re driving on (Interstate 5),” Hansen said. “If you’re not next to the river, you could look down and see this beautiful place that would beckon you -- not only off the highway but out of your car to walk and enjoy our city.” Cherry blossoms blooming at Southside Park were planted in Sakura Grove about two years ago as a way to celebrate the city’s Japanese culture, Hansen said. “There’s this long heritage here between the Japanese American community and Sacramento,” he said.Sakura, the Japanese word for a flowering cherry tree, became part of the city’s history.“The Japanese community, early in Sacramento, instead of calling it Sacramento, called it Sakuramento," Hansen said.The Tree Foundation said it’s in the quiet stages of fundraising and isn’t saying how much the project will cost. The foundation did say the Hanami Line at Masui Park will be privately funded.The foundation said it plans to plant the trees next fall and expects them to bloom in Spring 2021.