This site is an online media that delivers all sorts of trivia about the six Tohoku prefectures, from sightseeing and gourmet spots to local customs, history, and more
In October 2015,Aizuwakamatsu City in Fukushima PrefectureandYoichi City in Hokkaidoa friendship city agreement was declared between
Although the two cities may seem far apart at first glance, they are actually bound together by an inseparable bond of history
Its origins can be traced back to the Boshin War during the Meiji Restoration, whenone of the places where samurai from the Aizu domain, forced to leave their hometowns after the defeat, ended upbecame
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"Hi no Koromo" (Crimson Robe)named
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
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
Tsuruga Castle (Aizu-Wakamatsu Castle)
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
newly established in eastern Aomori Prefecturethe Tonami Domainwas
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
And one of the crops that Kurodaintroduced from America in search of a crop suited to Hokkaido's climate and soil 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
"Hi no Koromo" apples from Yoichi, Hokkaido, grown by Aizu samurai
Scarlet Robe
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 managed his apple varieties by number, and the ones that ripened in Yoichi were"No. 19"and"No. 49."respectively"Hi no Koromo" and "Kokko,"were later named
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"
scarlet image
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 the Hi-no-Koromo variety, bore fruit in various regions, each with its own unique 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
to maintain public order in Kyoto during the late Edo periodthe "Kyoto Shugoshoku" (Kyoto Guardian), but when the domain lord, Matsudaira Katamori, first visited the imperial court, the color of the robe he was specially given by Emperor Komei was "crimson."
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 commemorate this sorrow and humiliation, the Aizu samurai began to cut up crimson felt into small pieces and wear them at all times, a practice"kyuketsusen" (weeping blood felt)known as
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
[Series] The history of Japan's first commercial apple cultivation, cultivated by Aizu samurai
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