Nippon Paper Group assists in the growing of cherry plantlets with an historic and academic value that makes them an important part of Japanese society, using its unique propagation technology. This assistance is a part of the Group's commitment to contributing to society using its technologies and expertise. Nippon Paper Group was fortunate enough to receive historic cherry trees from Shiogama Shrine (Shiogama City, Miyagi) and Katsurakini'imasuhonoikazuchi Shrine (commonly known as “Fuefuki Shrine” and located in Katsuragi City, Nara). These trees have successfully produced plantlets.
Nippon Paper Industries Co., Ltd. (President: Takahiko Miyoshi) has developed technologies for mass-propagating the elite Eucalyptus trees through tissue culture, for use in the Company's overseas plantation projects. The photoautotrophic culture system technology*, a rooting technology which is at the core of its propagation technologies, is used to grow cuttings of cherry trees.
There are many cherry trees in Japan, and they are admired as the national flower. Many of the trees including someiyoshino (Prunus yedoensis) are more than 60 years old, and it has been pointed out that these trees have lost some of their life force. It has traditionally been difficult to grow cherry plantlets, especially the plantlets of historic cherry trees, through cuttings. Moreover, there are problems with producing plantlets by grafting, because it is time-consuming and an affinity often takes imperfectly. Using the Nippon Paper Industries' original technology has overcome these difficulties to enable the efficient growing of cherry plantlets.
Nippon Paper Group will continue to support the preservation of historic cherry trees, the symbolic flower of Japan, at the requests of organizations and individuals owing ancient cherry trees.
| *Photoautrophic culture system: | A method of culturing plants with only carbon dioxide, water and light and without using sugar nutrition, achieved by enhancing the photosynthetic capacity of plants |
1.Shiogama Shrine (Shiogama City, Miyagi)
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| [Shiogama, double-flowered cherry tree of Purnus lannesiana speciosa]
The species of cherry tree was grown by grafting, which often resulted in rotten joints, leading to the death of the trees. This problem is expected to be solved by producing the seedlings using this innovative technology. |
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| A developed shoot through cutting |
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Blossoms of Shiogama Cherry tree,
designated as protected species | | |
2. Katsurakini'imasuhonoikazuchi Shrine
(commonly known as “Fuefuki Shrine” and located in Katsuragi City, Nara) |
| | [Hahakagi, Prunus grayana]
This is the sole tree of the species of cherry tree that has been inherited by this shrine. Its ancestors were said to be used for choosing the rice paddies for growing the rice to be given to the Imperial family. Since the tree is more than 70 years old and some of the branches were dead, the need to grow a successor trees was urgent. The Company's innovative technology enabled production of a successor tree. |
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The Hahakagi tree was inherited from generation to generation.
However, only one branch bloomed last spring because of ageing.
| | A developed shoot through cutting |
