We Want to Protect and Create the Scenery of Gifu’s 1,200 Famous Cherry Trees “Hyakujuro Sakura” and Traditional Japanese Culture “Ohanami”!
With That in Mind, We Launched a Cherry Tree Planting Project and Have Started Selling NFTs
～The Challenge of the Sake Brewery that Brews the Sake Brand “HYAKUJURO”～
The heart that loves cherry blossoms is the Japanese heart. Enjoying sake under the cherry blossoms in full bloom is the ultimate experience. However, while “Ohanami” or cherry blossom viewing is a traditional custom that has continued for over 1,300 years, the cherry trees are aging and declining. It is necessary not only to protect the aging cherry trees, but also to create new cherry blossom viewing places for the future. HAYASHI HONTEN launched this project in order to pass on to the next generation Japan’s traditional cherry-blossom viewing culture, which is loved all over the world and is soothing to feel the spring.
Project Count Down
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This countdown will be the “fixed time” of the right to acquire the benefits attached to each NFT by purchasing Hyakujuro Sakura NFT.
Those who own the NFT as of 1:10 on January 10, 2023 Japan time can receive the benefits attached to each NFT. Please note that those who have sold the NFT by the time of right confirmation will not be able to obtain the accompanying benefits.
At the Foot of the Japanese Alps, the Village of Clear Streams.
A 100-Year-Old Sake Brewery in Kakamigahara City, Gifu Prefecture
HAYASHI HONTEN is 100 years old. We are a sake brewery that continues to brew natural and pure sake using only the power of microorganisms from rice, water and yeast born in Gifu. Our sake continues to bring a variety of delicious flavors, joy and surprises, happy scenery, and many smiles. Our corporate mission is to brew delicious sake and to create excitement beyond that.
The “HYAKUJURO” series is a brand that respects Mr. ICHIKAWA Hyakujuro, a Kabuki actor from Kakamigahara City, Gifu Prefecture, where our sake brewery is located. We offer this series to Japan and around the world with the hope that it will be loved all over the world as “sake that you can enjoy drinking under the cherry blossoms in full bloom” and as a symbol of Japanese culture.
And this time, we learned that the “Hyakujuro Sakura” donated by Mr. ICHIKAWA Hyakujuro was in danger, and not only brewed “HYAKUJURO” sake, but also we strongly felt that we would like to support “Hyakujuro Sakura” in some way.
Hyakujuro Cherry Trees and Other Ones All over Japan Face a Critical Situation
Somei Yoshino, the most popular variety in cherry blossom spots all over Japan, currently accounts for 80% of the cherry trees in Japan. Its lifespan is said to be about 60 years, and more than 75 years have passed since 1945, the year after the war, when cherry trees were planted all over Japan as a national policy. Nowadays, there are even old trees that have withered and fallen all over Japan.
“Somei Yoshino” is a clone made from a small number of cherry trees. Therefore, since they were propagated from the same raw tree by grafting or cuttings, they bloom all at once during the flowering season, fall all at once, and age at the same time. This situation is unknown to many people.
Ninety years ago, local Kabuki actor ICHIKAWA Hyakujuro dedicated his life to donating 1,200 cherry trees to the Sakai River area of Kakamigahara City, Gifu Prefecture, which is a tributary of the Nagara River, one of Japan’s three clearest streams, and where our brewery is located. Currently, more than 1,000 Somei Yoshino cherry blossom trees are in full bloom on both sides of the river for about 4 kilometers, and are called “Hyakujuro Sakura”. It blooms beautifully in spring and is popular with many people as a tourist attraction.
Starting from Hyakujuro Sakura, the whole city of Kakamigahara is connected by a large ring of cherry blossoms. The total length of the cherry blossom corridor is 31 km, and it has become a tourist destination as “the best cherry blossom corridor city in Japan”.
However, the number of “Hyakujuro Sakura” has decreased from 1,200 at the time of planting to 1,000, and the majority of the trees are damaged due to aging. In response to this situation, the “Sakuramori” of “Hyakujuro Sakura Conservation Volunteers” by Kakamigahara citizens are working to maintain and manage it. The situation is getting difficult to manage.
Furthermore, due to the spread of COVID-19, it has become difficult to hold events in which volunteers participate.
In addition, planting trees on the current riverbed is restricted by law. Tree planting along the current embankment is impossible at this time.
Japan’s Traditional Culture “Ohanami”, Which is Proud and Loved by the World, will be Lost!
“Ohanami” or cherry blossom viewing that captures the heart of the Japanese. It is an event that Japanese people have been deeply familiar with for over 1,300 years.
The relationship between Japanese people and cherry blossoms is very old, and the beautiful Princess Konohana Sakuya, who was proposed by Ninigi no Mikoto, the grandson of the main god of Japanese mythology, Amaterasu Omikami, was regarded as a symbol of the ephemeral scattering (=cherry blossom). The name “Sakura” comes from “Sakuya”.
There is also another origin that “sa”, which means the god of the rice field, and “kura”, which means the throne of the god, are combined. The gods of rice paddies resided in the cherry blossoms in full bloom, and they were revered by farmers as beings who watched over them from planting to harvest.
There is a saying, “The cherry among flowers, the samurai among men.” In the age of the samurai, among all the flowers, the cherry blossoms that bloom and fall at once are the best, and the most splendid way of life for a person is to be a samurai who blooms beautifully like the cherry blossoms and falls gracefully.
The custom of “Ohanami” has been loved for a long time because of this respect for cherry blossoms.
The aging of cherry trees is rapidly accelerating. The environment is the same all over Japan, and if things continue as they are, the traditional Japanese culture of “Ohanami”, which is loved all over the world, will be lost. We have to tell many people about the critical situation of cherry blossoms. Also, in order to preserve the “Ohanami” culture, we think it is necessary to create new cherry blossom viewing spots.
We want to protect the cherry blossoms and Ohanami culture with the help of people all over the world!
We started this project with the idea that we could accumulate knowledge and experience by managing the maintenance and expansion of the Sakura Corridor starting from Hyakujuro Sakura, and share that know-how with people all over the country to protect the precious Ohanami culture throughout Japan.
While preserving the traditional Japanese culture of “Ohanami”, which is loved all over the world and boasts a history of over 1300 years, this project provides a special opportunity to become an owner of a cherry tree as a leader in protecting history.
About NFT
This time, the NFT to be released in collaboration with HAYASHI HONTEN and HINATA, includes a cherry tree planting support fund, the purchase of HAYASHI HONTEN’s sake “HYAKUJURO: Sakura”, and a tour trip to Gifu Prefecture where HAYASHI HONTEN is located.
A portion of NFT’s sales is used to create an environment that can be enjoyed by people in Japan and overseas, including maintenance and expansion management of “Hyakujuro Sakura” and the Sakura Corridor.
About Special Privilege
When you visit Hayashi Main Store, you can always get 10% off by Hyakujuro Premium Card. Original goods will be included once you use the EC site. The premium card will be delivered by mail around February 2023.
The ownership of cherry tree is only the right to plant a tree. We do not handle anything other than trees planting. The planted cherry trees will be carefully grew up, but please understand that they may die by the natural environment.
The location of the Hyakujuro Sakura Corridor guide board and the cherry trees will be decided after January 10, 2023, depending on the number of trees sold. The font size of the guide board is planned to be W76mm x H17mm. In addition, the font size for VIP is planned to be W130mm x H22mm.
The NFT of the VIP course includes the travel fee for the made-to-order planning tour. The maximum amount is equivalent to 550,000 yen (tax included) per person for 3 nights and 4 days, for 2 people.
#1 SAKURA NFT mini
「Sakura」Support mini course
Sakura NFT label art (Sakura planting limited label Meitetsu ver)
Sake “HYAKUJURO: Sakura” a 720ml sake bottle (Sakura planting limited label Meitetsu ver) Delivery around April 2023
Hyakujuro Premium Card (Comes with various benefits when visiting HAYASHI HONTEN) Delivery around
February 2023
This countdown will be the “fixed time” of the right to acquire the benefits attached to each NFT by purchasing Hyakujuro Sakura NFT.
Those who own the NFT as of 1:10 on January 10, 2023 Japan time can receive the benefits attached to each NFT. Please note that those who have sold the NFT by the time of right confirmation will not be able to obtain the accompanying benefits.
HAYASHI HONTEN Fifth-Generation Owner HAYASHI Rieko
