Tsuneo Kaneko
Growing old roses is now such a fad in Japan that it is called 'old rose fever'. Yet roses have been grown in Japan for well over a thousand years - China roses called 'Koshin' were grown in Japan before the 10th Century. 'Koshin' in the Chinese Calendar means, every 60 days, which suggests that these roses were repeat flowering. They are now thought to have been a type of China rose, most likely R. chinensis jacq., but there may well have been several different types. 'Koshin' roses have been grown in many gardens in Japan and were highly valued because they were not indigenous; they were prized for their rarity and for being exotic. In complete contrast to this reverence for non indigenous roses, Japanese enthusiasts for other plants have raised many new cultivars of camellias, cherries and chrysanthemums which have come to represent Japan's unique horticultural heritage.
Japan's history and its effects on rose growing
Japan's attitude to the world outside has a long history. From the 17th to the mid 19th century the Japanese closed their door to foreign and cultural trade because they feared that Christianity might threaten the regime of the Shogun. This is called the Edo period and was one of the most distinctive periods in horticultural history, producing important cultivars of Iris, Primula, Ipomoea and many others.
Because of this isolation Japan was unaware of new horticultural developments elsewhere. It is thought that the then predominant Yin-Yang view of the world hindered the Japanese understanding of gender in plants and as a result artificial pollination was seldom practised. Important cultivars developed at that time were either sports or the products of natural hybridisation selected by experienced plantsmen with a well developed taste and eye. But for some reason, these plant breeders made no attempt to raise new cultivars of roses. And because the Japanese were isolated for over two centuries, they were unable to import those roses then important in Europe, such as R. gallica which played an important role in the cultivation of modem roses. Nor did they learn about artificial pollination.
There are 15 types of roses, either species or naturalized, which grow wild in Japan; (see Mikizo Sato's article Species Roses of Japan in the Spring 1998 issue of the HRG Journal). Three of these wild Japanese roses were later brought to Europe and played their respective roles in the development of modern roses.
When in 1868 Japan finally decided to open its doors to the rest of the world, all things European were enthusiastically imported, including new rose cultivars. Roses did not however become an established part of Japanese horticulture until the turn of the century, and by that time, modern roses had taken a leading place in the rose world. It is important to remember that the first Hybrid Tea 'La France' had been introduced in 1867 just before Japan gave up its policy of isolation. The Japanese therefore had had no opportunity to share with European rosarians their long interest in old roses. This is one of the reasons - and a crucial one - as to why Japanese rosarians took such little interest in the old roses of Europe.
The first rose societies in Japan were started in Tokyo and Kyoto around 1930, and both were active in promoting roses throughout Japan and rudimentary efforts were made to produce some new cultivars. However these attempts came to a halt when World War II started. In 1949 the Japan Rose Society was founded and in the period of peace and economic growth that followed, a succession of cultivars, raised in Europe and the USA were imported and Japan experienced an unprecedented 'rose boom'. Roses were grown all over the country and soon became the most cherished of all flowers. New cultivars won awards in intemational trial grounds throughout the world. Some of these new cultivars, such as 'Nozomi', a climbing miniature, are planted widely in Europe.
However, except for a very few enthusiasts, rosarians in Japan still showed no interest in old roses. Many different rose gardens have been developed throughout the country, but nearly all of them feature Hybrid Teas, Floribundas, Climbers and rambling ground cover roses with very few old roses. At rose exhibitions too, until a couple of years ago, no old roses were on display. Similarly, there were no books on old roses in Japan. Except for the few enthusiasts who had visited rose gardens in Europe, Japanese rosarians had few, if any opportunities to see old roses, let alone to appreciate their great merits.
Current interest in Old Roses
In the past few years, however, interest in old roses has grown to a surprising extent. Strangely enough, this sudden change was not brought about by rose enthusiasts or experts. It was amateur gardeners, with little or no experience of growing roses, who were instrumental in bringing about this boom.
Several years ago, an interest in British culture arose in this country, triggering a 'UK boom' which is still being felt today. In horticulture, it brought about a fad for herbs, followed by a passionate admiration of English style gardens, notably among Japanese women. This appreciation of English gardens naturally led them to take an interest in old roses. Women's magazines, popular gardening and design journals vied with each other to publish articles on old roses with pictures of beautiful gardens, mostly European, where old roses were photographed in their full glory. Books of a similar nature were published in quick succession, bringing fanciful dreams to amateur women gardeners.
The climate in Japan is far from ideal for growing roses, yet many of these books have created misconceptions and have implied or even suggested that, unlike, modern Hybrid Teas, old roses required little skill or effort. This strongly appealed to those with least experience of growing roses who, rushed out to buy old roses.
Since there had not been a market for old roses in Japan, the nurseries here were unable to satisfy this sudden demand, and they had to import most of them.
In Japan, the term old roses broadly refers to roses other than Hybrid Teas and Floribundas, Climbers and Miniatures but it sometimes includes these roses and also roses raised in the 19th Century or early in this century. Japanese preferences are very similar to those of most European enthusiasts for old roses. David Austin's 'English Roses' are also very popular here.
With the exception of the fortunate few, most Japanese cannot afford a spacious garden. Many older people have a house with a tiny plot of land somewhere in the suburbs and start to plant gardens while some city dwellers enjoy 'gardening' on the verandahs of their flats. A number of the more recent flat buildings in crowded cities provide fairly large roof top gardens for the real enthusiasts.
Paradoxically very few of these people are interested in traditional Japanese style gardens surrounded by bamboo and wooden fences, featuring pine trees on white sand and rocks. Such gardens are too costly and are too difficult for them to build personally. Hence the attraction of the English style of garden.
For centuries, the Japanese have tried to recreate the beauty of nature within an artificial space of limited size and so this is reflected in our attempt to grow old roses. Old roses are therefore often grown in pots on the verandahs of flats or in very small gardens. This sadly does not do full justice to their charm nor to the traditional role they have played in European gardens.
I think it is rather ironic that while few Japanese are now interested in the traditional Japanese style of garden, those in other countries are trying to recreate Japanese gardens.
The Climate
When discussing rose growing in Japan one cannot ignore the prevailing climatic conditions. To begin with, Japan consists of four large and a number of smaller islands stretching for more than 2400km (1500 miles) and lying on a north east to south west axis. It is interesting to note that the northernmost point of Japan is on the same latitude as Paris, while the southemmost point is approximately the same as the Sahara Desert. The central area of Japan however lies on the same latitudes as the Mediterranean, Tokyo and Osaka being approximately on the same latitude as that of Crete. The climate of Japan therefore differs significantly from that of many European countries.
The south east side of the Japanese archipelago faces the Pacific Ocean and enjoys an oceanic climate with four distinct seasons of similar duration. Except in the northern and mountain areas, where the weather in winter is rather severe, the average temperature and humidity is high compared to Europe. The summer is extremely hot and humid. Certainly, this is not a comfortable climate for most of the plants cultivated in European countries. Let me briefly give some details of the climate using Tokyo and Osaka as examples:
The temperature in winter seldom falls below freezing while the average temperature in January is around 5ºC (41ºF). In the middle of June, the rainy season begins; called 'Tsuyu' it lasts about a month, with many rainy days and extremely high humidity. From the end of July to the end of August, the temperature rises above 30ºC (86ºF) during the day and at night there is little change. Although roses are comparatively tough, some are adversely affected by weather, especially the summer heat. On the other hand, some roses grow too vigorously, and fail to flower freely. This applies to some English Roses.
From June to September, a number of typhoons occur in the southern Pacific and some of them strike Japan causing serious damage.
The climate here also provides ideal conditions for fungal diseases such as black spot which is far more rampant here than in most parts of the UK. We believe that fungicides and insecticides must be regularly applied to our roses - at least twice a month.
Some gardeners grow their roses in plastic greenhouses to protect them from the rain and violent winds and also to cultivate them specially for competitions and exhibitions. Sometimes this is carried to an extreme and the exhibits are limited to certain types of Hybrid Teas which vie with each other for perfection. This is rather an unusual way of enjoying roses but in some ways it reflects the attitude of the Japanese who are overly meticulous in attaining perfection in all things. After all, this enthusiasm has enabled them to produce highly refined cultivars in other plants.
Indeed Japan's rose world has been led by these perfectionist exhibitors, and this is another reason that rosarians failed to take an interest in old roses for so long. It is a pity that they had failed to enjoy roses in the widest sense but in some ways this is due, even if indirectly, to the unique climate of this country.
It is ironic that the sudden 'old rose fever' came about through amateur gardeners, and not by experienced rosarians. However this development should be welcomed as it has opened the way for rose enthusiasts to learn far more about old roses and to enjoy them. Also, several rose gardens are now being designed which will feature old roses as well as the modem ones.
However I still feel a bit uneasy about those amateur gardeners who brought about this 'old rose boom.' Roses are difficult to grow in Japan and old roses are no exception. I sincerely hope that these people will not be too discouraged when they come to realise the problems they have to face when growing old roses under these climatic conditions.
I am afraid today's 'old rose boom' in Japan may come to an end sooner or later but I hope by that time a quiet but genuine love of old roses will have taken root deep in our soil.
Tsuneo Kaneko is the secretary of the Old Roses and Climbers Club in Japan. A keen plantsman, he lives in Kamakura, an old Japanese capital, about 50km (31miles) south of Tokyo, where he grows roses and many other garden plants.
This article appeared in the Autumn 1999 issue
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