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."