Every spring, over a hundred cherry trees on Daigaku and Sakura streets blossom simultaneously. The trees on Daigaku Street are notably older and taller than those on Sakura Street, offering a beautiful contrast in their maturity and size.
SideStory:The Cherry Blossoms of Daigaku-dori（大学通りの桜）
**関栄一さん→
春 あたり一面をピンク色に染めてしまう大学通りの桜並木。今ではすっかり桜の名所にとなり、多くの人を楽しませてくれる。でも、この桜がいつ頃植えられたものなのか、知っている人はほとんどいないでしょう。あの桜並木は昭和9年頃から10年ころにかけて、当時の国立会が植樹したのものです。谷保村青年団国立支部にいて、木の成長を助けるために根本の草取りなどの作業にあたった関栄一さんに伺うと「あの頃の大学通りは石ころの多い道で、両側はずっと雑木林が続いていたな」とのこと。そして笑いながら「全部ソメイヨシノを植えたつもりだったが、花が咲いたら、ヤマザクラがあったな」と当時を思い出していらっしゃいました。樹齢は65年余、もうすでに枯れかかってきたものもあります。くにたちのまちの代名詞となっている大学通りの桜並木、次の世代へ桜を引き継いでいく時期に来たようです。
出典：第19回くにたちさくらフェスティバル実行委員会「桜を植えた男たち」(1996年）より
In spring, the cherry blossom trees along Daigaku-dori dye the entire area in a beautiful pink. Today, it has become a famous cherry blossom spot that brings joy to many people. However, few people probably know when these trees were planted.Those trees were planted around 1934 to 1935 by a local group called the “Kunitachi-kai.” We spoke with Mr. Eiichi Seki, who was a member of the Yaho Village Youth Association’s Kunitachi branch back then. He used to clear weeds around the roots to help the trees grow. “Back in those days, Daigaku-dori was just a rocky road, and thick woods stretched out on both sides,” he recalled. He then added with a laugh, “We thought we had planted only Somei-Yoshino trees, but when they bloomed, we realized some Yamazakura (wild cherry blossoms) were mixed in!”These trees are now over 65 years old, and some are already beginning to wither. As the symbol of Kunitachi, the time has come for us to pass these beautiful cherry blossoms down to the next generation.
Source: From “The Men Who Planted the Cherry Blossoms” (1996) by the 19th Kunitachi Sakura Festival Executive Committee
