New Cherry Blossom Queen chosen in Hamburg
Hamburg Welcomes New Japanese Cherry Blossom Queen and Celebrates Cultural Festival
Following a prestigious election, Denise Duch, a 28-year-old student, has been crowned as the fifth Japanese Cherry Blossom Queen of Hamburg. The coronation took place over the weekend during Hamburg's Japanese Cherry Blossom Festival, which featured fireworks and the selection of the queen.
The two-year position represents Hamburg as a cultural ambassador in Japan. During her tenure, Duch will travel to Japan to promote the city's cultural ties and heritage.
Last weekend marked the 57th anniversary of the Japanese Cherry Blossom Festival in Hamburg. The Deutsch-Japanische Gesellschaft zu Hamburg e.V., in collaboration with the Japanese Consulate, organized the event. The festival kicked off on Friday evening with a fireworks display over the Outer Alster, which was absent last year due to financial constraints. The event culminated on Sunday at Planten un Blomen, where visitors could sample Japanese delicacies, witness a tea ceremony, or try on a traditional Japanese garment, a Yukata.
In the 1960s, the Japanese community in Hamburg, along with local businesses, gifted the city around 5,000 cherry trees. These cherry trees were planted along the Alster riverfront as a token of gratitude for Hamburg's hospitality. The festival has since become an integral part of Hamburg's spring calendar, promoting cross-cultural understanding, celebrating Japanese traditions, and attracting both locals and tourists.
In the coming days, our coverage will include a video reportage of the crowning of the new queen, Denise Duch.
Coverage by Katharina Schöndorfer, Contributing Journalist
Katharina Schöndorfer, born in 2000, once served beer and pretzels in a Bavarian tavern in Melbourne while dressed as a dirndl. Her childhood dreams of becoming an astronaut eventually gave way to a desire to become a journalist. She currently studies Journalism, Strategic Communication, and Political Science in Passau. Her first successful journalistic pitch was for PULS on the topic of nudity. The BR and the Munich radio station Gong 96.3 subsequently purchased her and her fellow student's theme idea for the PULS reportage "7 Days Naked." After studying abroad in Estonia, she completed internships with the BR and the radio station Gong 96.3.
Katharina Schöndorfer can be found on our website at https://unserewebsite.com/author/kathi-schoendorfer/.
Additional Coverage:- HVV Paintbuses in Hamburg- Behind the Scenes of Circus Life (unserewebsite.com/author/kathi-schoendorfer)
Coverage by Paula Maria Coscia, Contributing Journalist
Paula Maria Coscia, born in 2000, is said to make the best Bolognese sauce, the secret to which lies in celery, red wine, and her Italian roots. As a video journalist for Sat.1, she reported on the cakes of a family-owned bakery. During the violent unrest in Hong Kong in 2019, she sought refuge at McDonald's. Despite this harrowing experience, she remains undeterred in her desire to explore the world and share her experiences. In Hamburg, not far from her hometown of Kiel, she will soon begin her studies in German and Philosophy.
This author has no further contributions.
Denise Duch, as the new Japanese Cherry Blossom Queen, will foster cross-cultural understanding by promoting her home city's cultural ties with Japan and heritage, a role that extends beyond the festival. With an emphasis on showcasing Japanese lifestyle, home-and-garden enthusiasts can look forward to learning more about Japanese traditions, such as the tea ceremony and the use of traditional Japanese garments like Yukata, during future events.
