A small Scottish seaside town is preparing to bring in an element of Japanese culture as it gears up to host an annual festival starting Saturday inspired by "hanami" cherry-blossom viewing.
"In Helensburgh, we have a huge number of flowering cherry trees and I've always thought that we should celebrate this wonderful display of blossom," said Anne Urquhart, who organized the festival.
The weeklong festivities -- officially called the Lomond and Clyde Springfest -- are now entering their third year after Urquhart realized her dream of organizing an event to draw attention to the town's cherry trees in 2005.
"I knew there were other festivals like this, but nothing in the U.K. really, so I'd been looking on the Internet and becoming more aware of the Japanese tradition of hanami and the celebration that ensues," she said of her source of inspiration.