Giftology: Cherry Blossoms in D.C. were a gift from Japan

In 1912, Japan presented the then first lady Helen Herron Taft with more than three thousand cherry trees of twelve varieties to be planted in Washington, D.C.'s tidal basin. Those trees still stand today and are the central feature of Washington's famous Cherry Blossom Festival. 

sources: the enchanted home blog, you shouldn't have book