In Japan, the flowers and trees let us know when the seasons are changing.
Plum and rapeseed blossoms let us know that spring is near, and the Japanese particularly enjoy cherry blossoms, from the time the first buds open until the final petals fall away. Next, the lush new greenery of azaleas, hydrangeas and sunflowers tell us summer has arrived, but not long after, the cosmos come and go and usher in the fall with the vivid colors of the changing leaves.
There were also many places on campus where you could enjoy spring flowers. The cherry trees planted along the road in front of the bus stop (a gift from Ritsumeikan University alumni) were in full bloom the other day. On the main street linking APU to the classrooms, the white and purple magnolia flowers against the sky make for a beautiful picture, in both the daytime and at night.
But I think there should be more flowers—enough to provide enjoyment year-round.
The APU campus is located in Jumonjibaru, which used to be a hilly plateau overlooking the bay where alpine plants and pretty little flowers grew. This highland was leveled off to make our campus. We are the recipients of a natural environment that people have cherished since olden times, so we must treat it with care. Therefore, as I said in this blog last year, it is your duty as students to study hard here before you go out into the world. (See: "The beginning of Jumonjibaru"
https://www.apu.ac.jp/home/notes/article/?storyid=59)
In fact, there have never been many flowers on campus.
From inception until now, our faculty and staff have worked unceasingly to create this miracle of a university. Our students, often buffeted by heavy winds and enveloped in fog, have studied diligently to carve out their own paths. Until now, no one had time to plant flowers and care for them. Maybe we could even say our lack of flowers has been a kind of medal of honor.
This is why I would like to make this campus, which we have all worked to create, even more beautiful by planting more flowers and trees. If possible, I would like everyone to plant flowers and trees from their hometowns. I want to create an APU Garden—a place that, no matter the season, will make faculty, staff, students and locals stop and admire the beauty and feel right at home.
Even after you graduate, I hope you will occasionally stop, maybe when you are drifting off to sleep, to remember the flowers and trees as well as the memories of your time here as a student. Maybe you'll feel your heart jump or let a smile slip as you think to yourself: 'I'd sure like to go back to Beppu'.
So, what can we do?
The overgrown field next to the main gate has recently been shorn to the ground.
Doesn't it look ready to have something planted on it?
