(601) The Ubazakura in a Matsuyama folklore

  Have you ever seen cherry blossoms blooming directly from the trunk? I saw such cherry blossoms at Matsuyama castle this spring.
This is the photo.

(2024.04.06 near Otemon of Matsuyama castle)

I was very surprised to find them because I had thought such cherry blossoms didn't exist. They look cute, but they mean more to me than that.

  The way they bloom is exactly the same as the Ubazakura in a Matsuyama folk tale. Ubazakura means the Cherry tree of the Milk-Nurse.

  The story goes like this:

  Once upon a time, a wealthy man in Matsuyama asked Yakushi, the main deity of Taihoji-temple, to grant him a child as he had none. He was blessed with a baby girl whom he named Tsuyu. A milk nurse lovingly cared for her. Tsuyu grew into a remarkably beautiful young girl. But at the age of fifteen, she fell seriously ill. The nurse prayed to Yakushi to spare the girl's life in exchange for her own. When Tsuyu regained her health, the nurse herself fell ill and passed away. She requested before passing away, "Please plant a cherry tree in gratitude to Yakushi."  The wealthy man planted a cherry tree in front of the main building of Taihoji Temple as she wished. Strangely, a few milky-colored cherry blossoms bloomed directly from the trunk, bearing a resemblance to the nurse's breast.

昔々、松山の裕福な男が、自分には子供がないため、大宝寺の主神である薬師如来に子供を授けてほしいと願いました。彼は幸せな赤ちゃんの女の子を授かり、彼女の名前を露と名付けました。露は驚くほど美しい少女に成長しました。しかし、１５歳のとき、彼女は重病にかかりました。乳母は自分の命と引き換えに、薬師如来に少女の命を助けてくれるよう祈りました。露が健康を取り戻したとき、乳母自身は病に倒れ、亡くなりました。彼女は亡くなる前に、「薬師如来への感謝の気持ちで桜の木を植えて下さい」と頼みました。裕福な男は彼女の願い通り、大宝寺の本堂の前に桜の木を植えました。不思議なことに、幹から直接乳白色の桜の花が咲き、乳母の胸に似た形をしていました。（Copilotにより和訳）

  This story was translated into English by Lafcadio Hearn in the late 19th century. It is one of the tales featured in Hearn's book, Kwaidan, which was published in England and the United States.

2024.03.24 Ubazakura at Taihoji Temple