４倶利伽羅山の八重桜　Double cherry blossom of the Mt. Kurikara

＜昭和の花咲かじいさん＞

　倶利伽羅峠一帯では、毎年春になると約６千本もの八重桜が美しく咲き誇ります。これは、富山県高岡市の高木勝己さんが奥さんと一緒に1959（昭和34）年から私費で植え続けたのが始まりです。

　高木さんは1934（昭和9）年、倶利伽羅峠で自動車の故障により30メートルのがけ下に自動車もろとも転落しました。自動車は大破しましたが、乗っていた高木さんとその助手は不思議なことに全くの無傷でした。そして時が過ぎ、1959（昭和34）年1月、三晩続けて枕辺に不動明王が立たれ、「今、倶利伽羅はさびれており、人々がたずねてこないので寂しい。なんとか賑やかにしてほしい」とのお告げがありました。高木さんは、かって事故で九死に一生を得たのは不動明王のおかげだったことを悟り、ご恩返しとして、倶利伽羅の地加越の吉野山にと桜の苗木1万本を目標に植え始めました。以来20数年にわたって八重桜を植え続け、現在ではその意思を引き継いだ人々の手によって、桜は大切に守られています。

＜歴史国道「北陸道」みどころガイドマップより＞

Hanasaka Jiisan of the Showa (Showa Period)

　 Every spring, approximately 6,000 double-flowered cherry trees bloom beautifully in the Kurikara Pass area. This was started by Mr. Katsumi Takagi of Takaoka City, Toyama Prefecture, who, together with his wife, has continued to plant these trees at his own expense since 1959.

　 In 1934, Mr. Takagi and his car fell 30 meters down a cliff due to car trouble on the Kurikara Pass. The car was wrecked, but Mr. Takagi and his assistant were mysteriously unharmed. Time passed, and in January 1959, Fudo Myoo stood by the bedside for three nights in a row and said, “Now Kurikara is deserted and lonely because people do not come to visit us. I want you to do something to make it lively. Mr. Takagi realized that it was thanks to Fudo Myoo that he had once narrow escape from death in an accident, and as a way to repay his debt of gratitude, he began planting 10,000 cherry tree saplings on Mt.Kurikara , with a goal of planting 10,000 cherry trees, to make Mt. Kurikara like Mt. Yoshino in Kaetsu. Since then, over the past 20 years, the planting of double-flowered cherry trees has continued, and today the cherry trees are carefully protected by the people who have inherited his intentions.

＜From the “Historic National Highway Hokuriku Route” Highlights Guide Map“>