Photo/Illutration Cherry trees are in full bloom at Goryokaku Park in Hakodate, Hokkaido, on April 26. (The Asahi Shimbun)

As if they'd been waiting for the holiday-studded Golden Week to start, the "somei-yoshino" cherry trees at Goryokaku Park in Hakodate, Hokkaido, are now in full bloom.

Blossoms were confirmed on the park's sample tree on April 20, the second earliest date on record for the trees to bloom.

The park is known as the stage of the Boshin War (1868-1869) fought between forces supporting the Tokugawa Shogunate and proponents of the Meiji Restoration, the centerpiece of which is the fort of Goryokaku. It's also one of Hokkaido's most scenic cherry blossom viewing spots.

Chikako Watanabe, 46, an official at the Hakodate Housing and City Facilities Public Corp., which manages the park's vegetation, was shocked by the cherry trees' deterioration when she returned to her duties as a park supervisor in spring 2019 after a decade-plus hiatus.

The majority of the park's 1,500 cherry trees are 60 years or older. Some are past the age of 100.

Watanabe sought advice from Hirosaki Park in Aomori Prefecture, also famous for its cherry blossoms, and launched a project called "Orei-goe" (literally, "fertilization in gratitude") in June 2020.

It entailed feeding the trees as a gesture of thanks for the many years of pleasure they have brought the citizens of Hakodate.

When she sought volunteers from the public, a total of 400 people responded, way beyond her expectations. Showing up with buckets and shovels, they were all ready to work up a sweat.

The suspension of cherry blossom viewing parties due to the COVID-19 pandemic has also helped the trees recover their health.

"Large groups of people sitting on tarps right over the roots and lighting up their portable grills cause tremendous stress to the trees," noted Yasutsugu Saito, 55, the park's tree doctor.

Ambling around the park, I noticed some trees that were barely holding up with support stakes, but every tree seemed to be straining to spread its branches in the sun, as if determined to repay the fertilization volunteers with glorious blossoms.

This year's "cherry blossom front" raced through the Japanese archipelago faster than ever, giving me no chance to appreciate the blooms at leisure.

I cannot wait for next year's peak season, which I hope to greet with serenity, taking great care not to cause excessive stress to the trunks and branches.

--The Asahi Shimbun, April 30

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Vox Populi, Vox Dei is a popular daily column that takes up a wide range of topics, including culture, arts and social trends and developments. Written by veteran Asahi Shimbun writers, the column provides useful perspectives on and insights into contemporary Japan and its culture.

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