HITOHATA,INC. made a donation through a corporate hometown tax donation to the "Passing on the Cherry Blossom Baton to the Next Generation: Conservation and Regeneration Project for the 100-Year Cherry Trees and Thousand Trees," a project to create urban vitality, liveliness, and a related population in Iwakura City, Aichi Prefecture.

A letter of appreciation ceremony was held at Iwakura City Hall on Friday, August 5, 2022, and the letter of appreciation was presented by Iwakura City Mayor Keiro Kubota.

The donation will be used to foster conservation awareness to connect cherry blossoms to the next generation, conservation activities for the "Iwakura Gojo River, 100-Year Cherry Trees, and Thousand Trees," and the development of products using recycled cherry wood, as part of efforts to preserve and regenerate the cherry blossom trees along the Gojo River, a symbol of Iwakura City and one of Japan's "100 Best Cherry Blossom Spots."

Takeaki Higashiyama, CEO of HITOHATA,INC. (left) and Keiro Kubota, Mayor of Iwakura City (right)

About the "Sakura Baton for the Next Generation: A Conservation and Regeneration Project for the Centennial Cherry Trees and Thousand Trees"

The Gojo River, which flows from north to south through Iwakura City, Aichi Prefecture, is known as a famous cherry blossom spot, and the approximately 1,400 cherry trees lining both banks are loved as a symbol of the town. This cherry blossom line began in 1949 (Showa 24) when approximately 300 cherry trees were planted as part of a town revitalization project, and has been selected as one of Japan's "100 Best Cherry Blossom Spots."

The "Iwakura Cherry Blossom Festival" is held in the spring, and you can enjoy the cherry blossoms in full bloom that look like an arch over the river, and "flower rafts" where scattered petals float on the river surface. In addition, "nonbori-arai" is held, where hand-dyed carp streamers are washed in the river, and it is a popular spring event that attracts many tourists.

However, in recent years, many of the trees are over 60 years old, and although we work with the Iwakura Gojogawa Cherry Blossom Tree Preservation Society, a citizen volunteer group, to preserve them, many of them are in decline.

The "Passing the Cherry Blossom Baton to the Next Generation: Conservation and Restoration Project for the 100-Year Cherry Blossoms and 1,000 Trees" aims to extend the lifespan of the old trees, cultivate successor trees, replant them, and continue the beautiful Gojogawa cherry blossom trees into the future.