2019年04月01日朝刊
開けクマノザクラ
Newly discovered sakura variety adds happy twist to local tradition
[中文译文]
“这一代每次到春天，山樱都会开两次。第一次是开红花，第二次是开白花”。这是靠近纪伊半岛的南端的和歌山县古座川町自古以来口口相传的说法。
森林综合研究所的樱花保护组组长胜木俊夫在现场考察之后，探明这次发现的樱花是全新的一种樱花。证明最初绽放的的红花，是新发现的花种，并与去年被命名为“熊野樱花”。在日本国内，上一次发现野生的樱花新品种，已经是103年之前的事了。
协助本次调查的当地树木医生矢仓宽之，负责保护作为研究标本的樱花木，他一边在当地的小学宣传其价值，更作为向导，向远道而来的参观者做解说。他说“我以为国内的研究所几乎把所有的新品种都研究完了，这次又发现了新品种，真的是很吃惊。”
新品种比其他的花开放的时间要早。今年的观赏最佳季节是3月中。和外观相似的山樱相比，熊野樱的花瓣红色更浓，叶子更小。虽然调查才刚刚开始，但是在和歌山，三重和奈良三个县，据说就已经有几万株自生的熊野樱花。
当地的自治团体对于将其培养成观光资源的兴致非常高涨。早早地就已经为其出了写真集，T恤等商品，甚至以熊野樱花冠名的日本酒也已经开始了贩卖。明年春天开始，预计会有更多的观光客慕名而来。
如果说近世时代人工培育的，全国各地广泛种植的染井吉野樱花是“与人亲近的花”的话，从太古时代开始就独自在山野中顽强生长繁衍的熊野樱花，就是应该被称为“与人保持距离的花”。我就这样，远远眺望熊野地区的座座山峰，思考人和樱花之间的距离。
[日文原文]
「ここ一帯は毎春、ヤナザクラが2度咲く。最初は紅色の花、次は白い花」。紀伊半島の南端に近い和歌山県古座川（こざがわ）町では、古くからそう語り継がれて来た。
森林綜合研究所のサクラ保全チーム長、勝木俊夫（かつきとしお）さんが現地で調査したところ、種類の異なるサクラだったことが判明。最初に咲く紅色の方が新種とわかり、「クマノザクラ」と昨年命名された。国内の野生種としては１０３年ぶりの発見である。
その調査に協力したのが地元の樹木医矢倉寛之（やぐらひろゆき）さん（３７）。研究の標本とされた大木を保護し、地元の小学校で価値を訴えるほか、遠来の見学者のガイド役を務める。「国内の桜はほぼ研究室し尽くされたと思っていました。新種と認められたのはうれしいい驚きです。」
その開花は際立って早い。今年は３月中ばが見ごろだった。外観の似たヤマザクラに比べると、クマノザクラの花は紅色が濃く、葉は小ぶり。調査は始まったばかりだが、和歌山、三重、奈良の３県に数万本が自生するとみられる。
地元の自治体には、観光資源に育てようとの機運が高まりつつある。早くも写真集やTシャツが商品化され、名を冠した日本酒の販売も始まった。来春以降、さらに多くの観光客が見込まれる。
近世になって人が作り出し、津々浦々に植えられたソメイヨシノが「人に近い花」だとしたら、太古から山野にあって命を繋いできたクマノザクラは、「人から遠い花」というべきだろう。熊野の峰を眺めつつ、人と桜の距離を思った。
[英文译文]
Yama-zakura wild cherry trees in Kozagawa, a rural town near the southern tip of the Kii Peninsula in Wakayama Prefecture, have long been believed to blossom twice in the spring.
According to an old saying, reddish blossoms arrive first, followed by white ones.
But these are actually two different varieties of cherry trees, a field survey carried out in the town by Toshio Katsuki, a researcher at the Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute Found.
Katsuki heads a team at the institute dedicated to protecting cherry trees.
The trees that produce the reddish flowers turned out to be a new variety, which was named "Kumano-zakura" last year.
It was the first discovery of an unknown variety of wild cherry trees in Japan in 103 years.
Hiroyuki Yagura, 37, a local tree doctor, assisted with Katsuki's survey. Yagura is working to protect the large Kumano-zakura tree that was used as the sample in the research and visits local elementary schools to speak about the value of the new variety. He also serves as a cherry tree guide for visitors coming from afar to see the trees.
"I thought all the cherry trees in Japan had been researched and studied," Yagura says. "I was pleasantly surprised to learn the trees were a new variety."
Kumano-zakura trees blossom much earlier than other varieties. This year, the blossoms reached peak bloom in mid-March.
Compared with similar-looking Yama-zakura cherry trees, Kumano-zakura's blossoms are redder and their leaves are smaller.
While serious research into this new variety has barely begun, it is believed that there are several tens of thousands of Kumano-zakura trees growing naturally in the three prefectures of Wakayama, Nara, and Mie.
Expectations are growing within local governments that the new variety of wild cherry trees could become a lucrative tourist resource.
Photo books and T-shirts featuring Kumano-zakura have already hit the market, along with a new brand of Japanese sake named after it.
Many more tourists are expected to visit Kozagawa and other areas where Kumano-zakura cherry blossoms can be seen from next spring onwards.
Someiyoshino, by far the most popular variety of cherry trees, was cultivated in early-modern times and has been planted all over Japan. If Someiyoshino is considered to be a cherry tree variety close to people, Kumano-zakura, which ahs been present in fields and montains since ancient times, should be described as one far from human society.
As I viewed the mountains in Kumano and the southern parts of the kii Penisula. I pondered the distance between people and cheery trees.