Season of Blossoms

　　In this season I can't help writing about blossoms. I want to start "Blossoms in spring" at the onset of four seasons in Japan, which D?gen, Japanese Zen priest (1200-1253), cited in his poem. "Cherry blossom is the first among flowers. The best is Yama-zakura, Japanese mountain cherry, that bears plenty of blossoms dotted with red thin young leaves," said Norinaga Moto'ori, Japanese scholar of classic literature (1730-1801).
　　However we have few opportunities to see Yama-zakura in urban areas, where Someiyoshino, the most famous garden cherry, prevails over parks and riverbanks.
　　In Washington D.C, blossoms of Someiyosino on the bank of Potomac River are in full bloom at this instant. These trees originated from the saplings that Yukio Ozaki, the mayor of Tokyo, presented to the U.S. in 1912, and have their history of 90 years. Someiyoshino is a symbol of goodwill relationship between Japan and the U.S. But Someiyoshino doesn't bear fruit.
　　Cherry tree is reckoned as fruit tree in America. That is to say, "Fruit is more important than blossom." Fresh cherries are delicious and so is cherry pie. Dark red "American Cherry" which is very popular in Japan is not a native of America, and was actually introduced from west Asia and Europe.
　　Wild Cherry (common name: Black Cherry) that grows naturally in the east part of North America has white small blossoms in long clusters. It looks quite different from common cherry. This species has provided settlers with good materials to support their daily life; valuable woods for furniture, bark for cough syrup, and fruit for jelly and wine.
　　I remember the famous fable of George Washington, the first President of the U. S., and the cherry tree. At the age of six he cut off the cherry tree in the garden with a hatchet, but honestly confessed the truth to his father, by saying, "I can not tell a lie."
　　This story was introduced in the biography of Washington ("The life of George Washington, with Curious Anecdotes Laudable to Himself and Exemplary to his Countrymen" 5th edition) published in 1806 by a parson named Mason Locke Weems. Now it is well known that Weems fabricated that story. It had been taught at every grammar school and American people believed it was true for about 100 years since then. It was the ideal century that people could simply believe that the politician must be a high-spirited person to "make him a model to young people."
　　Japan's current political world found a number of notorious politicians who were obsessed with lust for power and fame, made dishonest money, and told a lie remorselessly and rather shamelessly.
　　Japanese people find loftiness in cherry blossoms, and feel the grace of their readiness when they are gone. That is our aesthetic viewpoint. I say to these politicians like dirty wet fallen leaves, "Look up at the blossoms above you and reconsider your disgrace."
　

花の季節

　この季節になると花について書きたくなる。豊かな日本の四季は、道元禅師ならずとも「春は花」から始めたい。そして「花はさくら、桜は山桜の葉あかくてりて、ほそきが、まばらにまじりて、花しげく咲たる」のが最高だ、といったのは本居宣長だ（玉勝間）。
　だが、都会に住んでいると、山桜を見る機会はほとんどない。各地の公園や河岸を席巻しているのは、ソメイヨシノの艶姿である。
　ワシントンのポトマック河畔でもこの時期、ソメイヨシノが満開だ。明治四十五（一九一二）年、東京市長・尾崎行雄が苗木を贈ったのが始まりで、九十年の歴史がある。サクラは日米関係を象徴する花となったが、残念ながら、ソメイヨシノは実を結ばない。
　米国では、サクラは果樹扱いだ。つまり「花よりサクランボ」。生食はもちろん、チェリー・パイは垂涎もの。日本でもお馴染みの赤黒いアメリカン・チェリーは、実は西アジア・ヨーロッパ原産の栽培品種だ。
　東部一帯に自生するワイルド・チェリーは、白く長い花穂が付き、およそサクラらしくない。家具の良材で、樹皮から咳止めシロップが、実からはゼリーやワインが作られるなど、開拓者の生活を支えてきた。　
　さて、サクラといえば思い出すのが、初代大統領ジョージ・ワシントンの逸話だろう。六歳の時にサクラの木を斧で切り倒したが、「ウソはつけない」と、それを正直に父親に告白したという有名な話である。
　これは一八〇六年にメイソン・ウィームス牧師が書いた伝記に出ている。今では牧師の創作であることが明らかだが、米国では百年以上にわたって学校の教材にも取り上げられ、誰もが実話と信じて疑わなかった。政治家になる人は「青少年の模範となる」ような高潔な人物だ、と素朴に信じられた時代だった。
　今日、日本の政界を見ると、権力や名誉欲に取り付かれ、金にまみれて平気でウソをつき、おまけに居直る厚顔無恥な政治家がいかに目立つことか。「恥を知れ」と言いたくなる。サクラの花に高潔さを見出し、散り際に「いさぎよさ」を感じたのは、日本人独特の美意識だ。汚辱にまみれる濡れ落ち葉は、もう一度樹上の花を見上げるがよい。
（２００２年４月６日）