[Part 1] Aizu samurai cultivated apples! What are the first apples cultivated privately in Japan, "Hi no Koromo" and "Kunimitsu"?

Introduction

October 2015, Aizuwakamatsu City in Fukushima Prefecture and Yoichi City in Hokkaido declared themselves friendly cities.

Although the two cities may seem far apart at first glance, they are actually bound together by an inseparable bond of history

Its origins date back to the Boshin War during the Meiji Restoration, was one of the places where Aizu samurai who left their hometown after the war ended up

The unspeakable hardships of pioneering Hokkaido have been passed down through the generations, but the Aizu samurai who settled in Yoichi managed to bring to fruition an industry after many hardships

This was the first commercial apple cultivation in Japan by a private Japanese person

later named "Scarlet Robe,"

Then in 2000, branches for grafting were brought from the Scarlet Robe that remained in Yoichi to Aizu-Wakamatsu, and the fruit began to bear in the land of their ancestors

At the signing ceremony for the friendship exchange city agreement at the beginning, it is said that scarlet robes produced by the harvests of both Yoichi and Aizu were exchanged

In this article, we will introduce the story of the Aizu samurai who overcame turbulent times and produced beautiful red apples in the northern land

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Transfer of Aizu samurai after defeat in the Boshin War

Before we talk about the relationship between Aizu and apples, let's take a look at why people decided to move to Yoichi in the first place

It is well known that the Aizu clan ultimately surrendered during the Boshin War, but various difficulties awaited them in dealing with the aftermath of the war

Before and during the war, the Aizu clan, together with the Shonai clan, concluded a treaty to cede their territory in Ezo to the Kingdom of Prussia (present-day northern Germany and western Poland) in exchange for military assistance

However, after the Aizu clan's defeat in the war, this treaty became inconvenient for the new government, so they took the measure of confiscating and abolishing the Aizu clan's territory, thereby eliminating the entity responsible for external affairs

Tonan Domain was established in eastern Aomori Prefecture to accommodate the former Aizu samurai

By positioning the Tonan Domain as not being a successor domain to the Aizu Domain, the treaty of cession of the Ezo territory concluded with the Kingdom of Prussia was prevented from becoming valid

However, just over a year later, in July 1871, the Tonan Domain itself disappeared as a result of the abolition of the feudal domains and the establishment of prefectures

The former Aizu samurai once again found themselves at a loss, but at the same time, attempts were made to relocate to various parts of present-day Hokkaido. This was particularly backed by Kuroda Kiyotaka of Satsuma, who would later serve as the second Prime Minister of Japan

At the time, Kuroda, who was Vice-Minister of Sakhalin for the Hokkaido Development Commission, proposed the development of Sakhalin as a new destination for the Aizu people, and Yoichi was one of the places where the group of immigrants landed

However, the policy to develop Sakhalin did not come to fruition, and the Aizu immigrants remained in Yoichi and became settlers, and it is said that Kuroda had envisaged such a policy from the beginning

Kuroda was looking for crops suited to Hokkaido's climate and environment, and one of the crops he brought over from America was the apple.

The seedlings were also brought to the Aizu immigrant group in Yoichi, marking the beginning of Japan's first commercial apple cultivation by a private individual, making history

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"Hi no Koromo" apples from Yoichi, Hokkaido, grown by Aizu samurai

As part of his Hokkaido development project, Kuroda Kiyotaka invited Horace Capron from the United States to serve as a development advisor in July 1871

Capron served as a Union volunteer during the American Civil War (1861-1865) and later served as Secretary of Agriculture for the United States government

The person who worked under Capron to introduce Western-style agriculture to Hokkaido was Louis Boehmer, a horticultural expert

Boehmer particularly noticed that Hokkaido's climate was well suited to apple cultivation, and from 1875 he began distributing various types of apple seedlings throughout the prefecture

It was also brought to Yoichi, where Aizu samurai moved, and the first reports of fruit were received four years later in 1879

Boehmer manages the varieties of apples by number, and the ones grown in Yoichi were "No. 19" and "No. 49." were later named "Hi no Koromo" and "Kokkou" respectively

Apples growing in the garden of a former Aizu samurai

It is said that around 500 apple seedlings were distributed to Yoichi, but most of them died due to a lack of knowledge and skills regarding cultivation methods

However, in 1879, about six No. 19 trees at the home of Akabane Genzo, a former Aizu samurai who had settled in Yoichi, and about seven No. 49 trees at the home of Kaneko Yasuzo, bore fruit

These apples, which tasted excellent, were exhibited at the Agricultural Exposition held in Sapporo the following year, 1880, and were a huge success

This marked the beginning of apple cultivation in Yoichi, with a single tree now capable of producing just under 50 kg of fruit

Yoichi apples gained a reputation and were traded at a favorable price of one kan (about 3.75 kg) for the equivalent of four sho of rice (about 6 kg), and it is said that this was the opportunity that finally allowed the Aizu pioneer immigrants to escape their difficult situation

The Aizu spirit embodied in the name "Scarlet Robe"

The name "Scarlet Robe" given to Yoichi apples, which were previously called "No. 19," was standardized nationwide at the third meeting of the Imperial Apple Name Selection Committee in November 1895 (Meiji 28)

"Ringo" refers to the fruit of the apple, and around this time apples brought from overseas, including Hi no Robe, began to bear fruit in various places, and each was called by a different Japanese name.

Therefore, there was confusion that the same variety had different names depending on the region, so the aim was to unify this

Hi no Koromo was known by the same name not only in Yoichi but also in Yamagata Prefecture, but there is some confusion, for example, the same variety is called "Matsui" in the Tsugaru region of Aomori Prefecture

The reason why Yoichi apples are named "Hi no robe" (Scarlet Robe) is because of the history of honor and hardship experienced by Aizu samurai from the end of the Edo period through the Boshin War

the Aizu clan the "Kyoto Shugoshoku" (Kyoto Protector) , and when the clan's lord, Matsudaira Katamori, visited the Imperial Court for the first time, he was given a special robe by the then Emperor Komei, the color of which was scarlet.

Scarlet was a color that was permitted to be worn by court nobles of the fourth and fifth ranks, and it can be said that it was in accordance with court etiquette and customs, appropriate for Katamori, who had reached Junior Fourth Rank at the age of ten

Emperor Komei is said to have praised the warrior who had come from far east and ordered that he have his garments remade into a jinbaori (battle coat) or yoroi hitatare (armor and hitatare)

It was a rare occurrence in history for a samurai to be given such clothing, and Katamori was so moved that he made it into a battle coat and wore it

This is the first thought behind Yoichi's apple, "Scarlet Robe."

But the other is far from glorious, it involves a cruel fate

The Aizu samurai had risked their lives to protect the Imperial Court and the capital of Kyoto, but through the turmoil of the Meiji Restoration, they were finally defeated in the Boshin War. Due to a ploy, they were branded enemies of the Imperial Court and forced to surrender to the new government forces

At that time, a scarlet carpet was laid out at the surrender signing ceremony

To keep this sadness and humiliation in their hearts, the Aizu samurai cut the scarlet carpet into small pieces and wore them close to their bodies at all times; these came to be called "Kyuketsusen" (crying blood carpet)

In other words, the "scarlet" in "scarlet robe" can be said to represent both the glory associated with the robe given to Matsudaira Katamori by Emperor Komei, and the hardship of trying to forget the memory of defeat

It is said that these apples were presented to the Imperial family for the next 40 years

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