Latest news with #Hokkaido-based
Asahi Shimbun
2 days ago
- General
- Asahi Shimbun
At 94, Hokkaido man still sends cherry trees of peace to world
MATSUMAE, Hokkaido—A cherry tree at a convent in Poland had bloomed pale pink flowers every April for nearly three decades before Masatoshi Asari, a Hokkaido-based researcher, learned about the blossoms. He immediately thought the tree was a 'miracle.' The cherry tree is a Yae-zakura variety called Beni-yutaka, which is vulnerable to cold temperatures, like those in the East European country. And it was Asari who had sent that cherry tree to the Polish convent. But the tree represents much more than just resilience to frigid temperatures. The tree symbolizes Asari's abhorrence of blind obedience displayed in Japan during World War II and reflects his deep admiration of a priest who made the ultimate sacrifice in the Holocaust. The cherry trees that Asari, 94, produces and sends overseas have become international messages of peace. CONNECTED THROUGH FATHER KOLBE Asari, who lives in Nanae, Hokkaido, has long been selectively breeding cherry tree varieties that can grow in cold regions. In 1987, he received a request from a Japanese Catholic who said she wanted to plant cherry trees at a convent in Poland founded by a priest whom she deeply admired. The priest was Father Maximilian Kolbe, who was killed by the Nazis after volunteering to die in place of another prisoner at the Auschwitz concentration camp. He was canonized after World War II ended. Asari was only happy to oblige and sent more than 300 seedlings to the Niepokalanow monastery near Warsaw. He received a similar request to send trees to Poland from the Franciscan Sisters of Militia Immaculata in Isahaya, Nagasaki Prefecture, whose members follow the teachings of Kolbe. Asari delivered 40 seedlings, many of which were wild species native to Hokkaido, to the St. Maximilian convent in Strachocina in southeastern Poland. The convent is located farther north than Wakkanai, the northernmost municipality in Japan. One of the seedlings was the surviving Beni-yutaka cultivar. CHILDHOOD DURING WAR Asari was born the second son of a farming family in the village of Ono, present-day Hokuto, near Hakodate, Hokkaido. Back then in Japan, dying for the emperor was likened to the graceful falling of cherry petals. 'At the time, I didn't think cherry blossoms were beautiful because they were used to promote the idea of dying for the country,' Asari recalled. After the war ended, Asari's image of cherry blossoms changed when he studied under botanist Shigezo Sugawara at college. Sugawara gave him cherry samples and told him to thoroughly study the plant. Asari started his research into cherry tree breeding while working as an elementary school teacher in Matsumae. Although the town is located on the southern end of Hokkaido, it is severely cold in winter. Still, Asari found Yae-zakura varieties among Oyama-zakura and other wild cherry species that had apparently been brought over from the main Honshu island. Asari determined the characteristics of each variety and created more than 100 cultivars. 'Cherry blossoms are cherished across borders and help people relate to one another,' Asari said. Out of remorse for World War II, he has been giving cherry seedlings to Asian and European countries. He sent them to Poland in the late 1980s so that he would not forget Japan's alliance with the Nazis, who invaded and tormented the Polish population. However, he had no idea what happened to his cherry trees until autumn 2021. He received word through Naoko Abe, a British-based nonfiction writer who has been covering Asari's work. She visited Strachocina and found three cherry trees were still standing at the convent. Asari received leaf samples from the trees and confirmed they were from wild species Chishima-zakura and Miyama-zakura cherries, in addition to Beni-yutaka. PLANS FOR UKRAINE In April last year, Sister Klara Maria Machulska, 40, head of the convent, met a group of pilgrims from neighboring Ukraine in front of the Miyama-zakura tree. When she told them about the origins of the cherry tree, the group said they also wanted a tree symbolizing peace. Ukraine, which continues to battle Russian invaders, contains regions at higher latitudes and with colder weather than Strachocina. Still, Asari said, 'I'd like to give (cherry seedlings) once peace is restored in Ukraine.' This year, Hana-temari, a Yae-zakura variety that Asari developed that is said to be resistant to severely cold temperatures, bloomed again in his garden. He hopes it will serve as a messenger of peace in Europe. 'Asari has been delivering messages of peace and friendship to the world through cherry trees,' Abe said. The Japanese edition of her new book, 'The Martyr and the Red Kimono,' will be published in Japan in July from Iwanami Shoten.
Canada Standard
21-05-2025
- Business
- Canada Standard
Foreign businesses deepen roots in Chinese market through int'l trade fair
HARBIN, May 21 (Xinhua) -- Crowds gathered at the Hokkaido booth during the 34th Harbin International Economic and Trade Fair, drawn by live demonstrations of handcrafted rice balls and an array of regional delicacies from the northern Japanese prefecture. "This year, 14 Hokkaido-based enterprises are showcasing 36 specialty products, with 12 companies and 34 products making their debut at the fair," said Takayuki Kano, Vice Governor of Hokkaido, expressing hopes that the event would help Hokkaido businesses secure local distributors and expand their footprint across China. Held in Harbin, capital of northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, this year's fair, which concluded on Wednesday, attracted over 1,500 enterprises from 38 countries and regions, including the United States, Japan and Switzerland, alongside participants from 23 Chinese provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities. During the fair, foreign officials and corporate representatives highlighted Heilongjiang's growing appeal as an investment destination and pledged to deepen their engagement with the Chinese market. Jonathan Pauwels, director of product development and branding for agricultural equipment manufacturer Case IH's Asia-Pacific division, spoke about his company's more-than-two-decade journey in the region. "We established our first factory in Harbin as early as 1999 and set up an agricultural machinery product development and research center in 2013. Over the past decade, we have continuously invested approximately 1 billion yuan (about 139 million U.S. dollars) in Heilongjiang to promote smart manufacturing. Now, many of our new agricultural machinery products have been introduced to the entire Chinese market," he said. With 40 global production facilities and 49 R&D centers, Case IH plans to expand its investments in Heilongjiang over the next five years by localizing components, developing advanced combine harvesters, and expanding exports from its Harbin base, according to Pauwels. Cao Jingheng, senior vice president of Nestle Greater China, attributed the renewed confidence of foreign companies to Heilongjiang's "revitalization through opening up" strategy. The province's fertile black soil, premium dairy pastures, and business-friendly policies prompted Nestle to establish its first Chinese mainland factory in Harbin's Shuangcheng district in 1987. To date, the Swiss conglomerate has invested 3 billion yuan in the province, supporting 33,000 dairy households and creating 10,000 jobs. "China is now Nestle's second-largest global market. We look forward to further strengthening our cooperation with Heilongjiang by introducing Swiss technologies and managerial experience, while bringing more premium local products to international markets," Cao said. The fair also attracted new entrants like Canadian athletic apparel brand Lululemon. Since opening its first store in Heilongjiang in 2022, sales have surged, according to Kang Tai, the company's general manager of government affairs. "We are confident about our development in Heilongjiang and plan to expand our presence and collaborate with the province to promote winter sports development," Kang said. Ren Hongbin, chairman of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, emphasized China's enduring appeal to global investors, adding that the fair and the concurrent events serve as a vital platform for international businesses to explore opportunities in Heilongjiang and beyond.
Canada Standard
21-05-2025
- Business
- Canada Standard
China Focus: Foreign businesses deepen roots in Chinese market through int'l trade fair
HARBIN, May 21 (Xinhua) -- Crowds gathered at the Hokkaido booth during the 34th Harbin International Economic and Trade Fair, drawn by live demonstrations of handcrafted rice balls and an array of regional delicacies from the northern Japanese prefecture. "This year, 14 Hokkaido-based enterprises are showcasing 36 specialty products, with 12 companies and 34 products making their debut at the fair," said Takayuki Kano, Vice Governor of Hokkaido, expressing hopes that the event would help Hokkaido businesses secure local distributors and expand their footprint across China. Held in Harbin, capital of northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, this year's fair, which concluded on Wednesday, attracted over 1,500 enterprises from 38 countries and regions, including the United States, Japan and Switzerland, alongside participants from 23 Chinese provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities. During the fair, foreign officials and corporate representatives highlighted Heilongjiang's growing appeal as an investment destination and pledged to deepen their engagement with the Chinese market. Jonathan Pauwels, director of product development and branding for agricultural equipment manufacturer Case IH's Asia-Pacific division, spoke about his company's more-than-two-decade journey in the region. "We established our first factory in Harbin as early as 1999 and set up an agricultural machinery product development and research center in 2013. Over the past decade, we have continuously invested approximately 1 billion yuan (about 139 million U.S. dollars) in Heilongjiang to promote smart manufacturing. Now, many of our new agricultural machinery products have been introduced to the entire Chinese market," he said. With 40 global production facilities and 49 R&D centers, Case IH plans to expand its investments in Heilongjiang over the next five years by localizing components, developing advanced combine harvesters, and expanding exports from its Harbin base, according to Pauwels. Cao Jingheng, senior vice president of Nestle Greater China, attributed the renewed confidence of foreign companies to Heilongjiang's "revitalization through opening up" strategy. The province's fertile black soil, premium dairy pastures, and business-friendly policies prompted Nestle to establish its first Chinese mainland factory in Harbin's Shuangcheng district in 1987. To date, the Swiss conglomerate has invested 3 billion yuan in the province, supporting 33,000 dairy households and creating 10,000 jobs. "China is now Nestle's second-largest global market. We look forward to further strengthening our cooperation with Heilongjiang by introducing Swiss technologies and managerial experience, while bringing more premium local products to international markets," Cao said. The fair also attracted new entrants like Canadian athletic apparel brand Lululemon. Since opening its first store in Heilongjiang in 2022, sales have surged, according to Kang Tai, the company's general manager of government affairs. "We are confident about our development in Heilongjiang and plan to expand our presence and collaborate with the province to promote winter sports development," Kang said. Ren Hongbin, chairman of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, emphasized China's enduring appeal to global investors, adding that the fair and the concurrent events serve as a vital platform for international businesses to explore opportunities in Heilongjiang and beyond.
