全国の桜を調査し、保存し、新種の育成に携わる人を「桜守」というそうですが、１６代桜守の佐野藤右衛門さん(92)直筆の箱書きに名が裏に刻まれ真ん中に可憐な桜の絵が描かれた小皿が手元にあります。これは藤右衛門さんと親しい間柄で、京都の呉服商に勤めるTさんからいただいたものです。
カフェにいらしたTさんからは佐野さんのことや桜のことなど教えていただき。佐野さん関連の新聞記事や桜守のこと、江戸時代桜花ばかり描いた画家たちのことも調べて送ってくださったりと、私が少しでも桜が好きになるようお心遣いをいただいています。
婦人画報の特集記事には佐野さんの名言が随所に見られます。「植木屋いうのは、木は引っ張っても伸びひんし押さえても止まらへんし、木に合わさな仕方ない。....人間が自然との共生を忘れてしまうのが、いちばん怖いんや」「寿命はしようがない。長生きした桜には姥桜ならではの見どころがあって愛でることもできる。けど、きれいに枯らしてやるのも大事」「手入れとちごて、守りをせなあかん。いつも気にかけてやることや」。
こうした佐野さんの言葉に感銘を受けるとともに、高齢の佐野さんのそばで佐野さんの育てた桜を毎年見続けるTさんの温かさを感じます。見守り育成された桜は観る人があってより生き生きとし、それを受けて自分もまた元気になれることを、桜のこの季節に分かったことは幸いです。
I heard that people say "SAKURA MORI" is a person who researches sakura across the country, saves them and raises new species. There is a small plate which the name, Sano Tohemon, was inscribed in the back and a pretty cherry blossom was drawn in the center and it came with a small box on which Mr. Sano wrote "Small Sakura Plate" by himself. I received this plate from Mr. T who works for Kimono fabrics company in Kyoto and has a close friendship with Mr. Sano.
こうした佐野さんの言葉に感銘を受けるとともに、高齢の佐野さんのそばで佐野さんの育てた桜を毎年見続けるTさんの温かさを感じます。見守り育成された桜は観る人があってより生き生きとし、それを受けて自分もまた元気になれることを、桜のこの季節に分かったことは幸いです。
I heard that people say "SAKURA MORI" is a person who researches sakura across the country, saves them and raises new species. There is a small plate which the name, Sano Tohemon, was inscribed in the back and a pretty cherry blossom was drawn in the center and it came with a small box on which Mr. Sano wrote "Small Sakura Plate" by himself. I received this plate from Mr. T who works for Kimono fabrics company in Kyoto and has a close friendship with Mr. Sano.
When Mr. T came to my cafe, he talked about Mr. Sano and cherry blossom and he also sent more articles which had information related to Mr. Sano or Sakuramori, and painters who draw only Sakura during the Edo period as well. Reading the article, there are several of Mr. Sano's wise sayings. I will introduce a couple of them here. "A Gardener can neither stretch the tree nor stop growing as you want, we just need to adjust them. ..... What we fear is that we forget to live together with nature." "We don't know the period of the tree's lifespan. If it lives a long life, we can appreciate the faded beauty of the tree but it is also important to let it wither beautifully." "It is not that you must treat, but rather watch over the trees. You always need to keep an eye on them."
I was very impressed by Mr. Sano's words. And I also felt a warm thought of Mr.T who often visits elder Mr. Sano, and watches Mr. Sano's Cherry trees raised by him. I got to know that Cherry blossoms shine more brightly when they have viewers to appreciate them, and in return those beautiful cherry blossoms cheer people up. It is a really nice season in Japan now.
