青森の樹木医が守る中国の桜の名所　

桜の名所で有名な弘前公園と同じく中国の武漢市の「東湖桜花園」も桜の名所だ。

この名所、20年来の青森の樹木医のたゆまぬ努力の結果なのだ。

青森県の樹木医の先駆者である青森県樹木医会　専務理事　斎藤　嘉次雄さんは、20年来、中国の武漢市「東湖桜花園」の桜の栽培管理に携わってきた。

In Mainland China, there is a cherry blossom spot in Wuhan city known as East Lake Cherry Blossom Garden which is similar to Hirosaki Park located in Aomori, Japan. Both of these parks have magnificent scenery and also famous around the globe as a cherry blossom sight-seeing area.

For 20 years, Kojio Saito, Executive Director of Aomori Prefecture’s Tree Doctors Association and a pioneer of tree physicians in Aomori Prefecture, has been involved in the cultivation and management of cherry blossoms in the East Lake Cherry Blossom Garden of Wuhan City, China.

1997年、地元のみちのく銀行が武漢市に駐在事務所を開設したことを機に、アメリカのワシントンにも負けない桜の園を作りたいと、斎藤さんに依頼した。

In 1997, local Michinoku Bank opened a branch office in Wuhan City. With this opportunity they had requested Mr. Saito to create a cherry blossom garden that is comparable to the one in Washington, United States of America.

中国は、花と言えば、桜というよりは梅や桃の花が主流で、桜を愛でるという文化がなく、そのため桜の育て方は、知られていなかった。中国で、桜を育てるのは、苦難の連続だったという。気候が合わなかっただけでなく、粘土質の土壌だったため手を焼いたという。齋藤さんは、枝の切り方や土壌改良を指導し、2001年武漢市「東湖桜花園」が開園した。東京ドーム(4.7h)4個分の面積（約2０ｈ）に、ソメイヨシノやシダレザクラなど、60種類、１万本以上の桜が植えられている。

In China tradition plum and peach flowers are the main and more likely to be appreciate rather than cherry blossoms. Hence, how to grow cherry blossoms was a question and an unknown in China’s society. Growing cherry blossoms in China was a big challenge and series of hardships. The weather is not suitable for the growth of the flower causing different kind of struggles.

And when Mr. Saito role comes into play, he taught them how to cut branches and doing improvement to the soil to make it more suitable for the plantation. In 2001, East Lake Cherry Blossom Garden in Wuhan City was completed and opened to public. More than 10,000 cherry blossom trees, such as Somei Yoshino and fern cherry blossoms, are planted on an area (about 20 h) comparable to 4 Tokyo Dome (4.7 h).

1998年5月に」中国側の技術者が研修のため弘前を訪れ、日中の桜を通した友好関係が生まれた。

しかし、その後、銀行がこの事業から撤退。以後、２年間ほどは、斎藤さんも中国を訪れることが出来なくなった。その間も武漢の桜は気になっていた。

ついに、2013年から、斎藤さんは、自費で武漢の桜の手入れを始めた。

日中の桜守りの交流を途絶えさせたくないとの想いもあった。

In May 1998, a Chinese engineer visited Hirosaki, Aomori for training, and hence friendship between cherry blossoms in the daytime was created. But then, banks withdrew from this business. After that, Saito-san could not visit China for about two years. Causing the process of completing the plantation cherry blossoms of Wuhan to be delayed.

From the year 2013 onwards, Saito-san began to carry the Wuhan cherry blossoms at his own expense.

The desire of continuing and not give up on the exchange of knowledge about cherry blossom was present at that very moment.

東湖桜花園の土は、粘土質で、水はけが悪く、桜の根が腐ってしまうため、土を入れ替え、根を保護する作業を一本ずつ行った。桜に合った土壌を中国の桜守りと一緒に、中国各地で探した。ピートモス（土壌改良剤）や褐炭が必要だった。ピートモスは、黒龍江省から手配した。

2017年からは、斎藤さんの活動に共鳴した青森の有志が、資金面で協力を申し出た。

20年間の齋藤さんの管理もあって、２０１８年は、250万人ほどの花見客で賑わったという。

The soil of the East Lake Cherry Blossom Garden is clayey, poorly drained, and the cherry root is rotten and so replacement of the soil was carried out to protect the roots one by one. Mr. Saito searched for the most suitable soil for cherry blossoms in various parts of China along with Chinese cherry blossom protectors. Peat moss (soil conditioner) and lignite were needed. Pete moss was arranged and taken from Heilongjiang province.

Since 2017, volunteers from Aomori who have resonated with Saito-san’s activities offered to cooperate in terms of funding. With 20 years of management and supervision by Mr. Saito, it is said that in 2018, there were about 2.5 million visitors that’s had visited the park.

ことしも多くの人が花見を楽しんだことだろう。

今では、中国有数の桜の名所に育て上げた、樹木医　斎藤　嘉次雄さんは、今後も、年2回ほど桜の管理に訪れ、後継者も育てていくという。

Many people would get to enjoy the cherry blossom sight viewing this year.

For now, the tree doctor Kojio Saito, who has been the key man who raised one of China’s leading cherry blossom spots, will visit the cherry blossoms park twice a year and will also entrust the knowledge of growing cherry blossom to his successors.