が、それゆえに春の輝きは、住む人々の心をよりふくよかにしてくれる。
およそ３か月にもわたる雪との格闘は、体力、精神ともに、津軽の人々に重くのしかかる。
それが雪は融け、花が咲くことによって、その苦悶は、一切合切解消される。
ここの野木和公園は、青森市の北西部に位置する総合公園。総面積は33・９ヘクタールで、公園中央に13・３ヘクタールの野木和湖を抱く。
その湖の周囲を取り囲むように「こどもの国」「ピクニック広場」「水辺散策園」「林間散策園」「ふるさとの森」のエリアが配置され、それぞれが４つの橋で結ばれている。
１周するのに40分ほどかかり、緑を愛でながら散策するには最適な空間である。
いわずもがな、この公園は、桜の名所で、例年ならば、東の合浦公園とともに「青森春まつり」の会場となる。
桜と言えば、ソメイヨシノだが、ここ野木和公園は、それより遅れて咲く、八重桜もいい。湖上大橋を渡った「水辺散策園」に１００本ほどが植栽されている。地元の人たちが、毎年少しずつ植えてきたものだという。
八重桜の満開時には、ほかの花も楽しめる。艶やかなオレンジ色の花をつけるヤマツツジをはじめサツキやツバキなども見ごろを迎えて、花好きにはうれしい。
唐代の有名な詩の一節に、
「年年歳歳、花あい似たり 歳歳年年、人同じからず」
が、ある。花は毎年、同じく咲くが、人の境遇は年々変わっていくという意味だと解釈している。
まったくその通りだ。
ただ、津軽の人々は春、年年歳歳の花に救われるのだ。過酷な雪を忘れさせてくれるそれを、“花の情け”とでも呼ぼうか……。
写真説明（上から順に）
① ソメイヨシノの満開風景（４月下旬）
② 八重桜はソメイヨシノから遅れて満開となる（５月中旬）
③ 八重桜が満開となる頃にはヤマツツジやツバキも咲く
Photo Essay: 100 Images of Aomori, Part 11
Photographs and text by Masayuki Yamauchi (editor, lives in Aomori City)
Nogiwa Park - Spring, a flowery scene...
Spring arrives late in Tsugaru, a snow country.
But because of this, the glow of spring makes the hearts of the people living there fuller.
The struggle with the snow for about three months weighs heavily on the people of Tsugaru, both physically and mentally.
However, when the snow melts and the flowers bloom, the anguish is completely relieved.
Nogiwa Park is a general park located in the northwest part of Aomori City. The total area of the park is 33.9 hectares, with 13.3 hectares of Lake Nogiwa in the center.
Surrounding the lake are the Kodomo no Kuni, Picnic Plaza, Waterfront Park, Forest Park, and Furusato no Mori areas, which are connected by four bridges.
Each of these areas is connected to the other by four bridges. It takes about 40 minutes to go around the park, making it an ideal place for a stroll while enjoying the greenery.
Needless to say, this park is famous for its cherry blossoms, and is usually the site of the Aomori Spring Festival, along with Gappo Park to the east.
Speaking of cherry blossoms, Someiyoshino cherry blossoms are the most popular, but here in Nogiwa Park, the double-flowered cherry blossoms, which bloom later than Someiyoshino, are also nice. There are about 100 cherry trees planted in the "Waterfront Walk Garden" across the Lake Bridge. It is said that the local people have planted them little by little every year.
When the double-flowered cherry trees are in full bloom, other flowers can also be enjoyed. Flower lovers will be happy to know that the Japanese azalea with its glossy orange flowers, the Japanese azalea and the camellia are also in full bloom.
There is a famous poem from the Tang Dynasty that says
In a famous poem from the Tang Dynasty, there is a line that says, "Year by year, year by year, the flowers are alike, and year by year, the people are alike.
There is a line from a famous poem of the Tang Dynasty: "Year after year, year after year, people are not alike. I interpret this to mean that flowers bloom the same every year, but people's circumstances change from year to year.
This is absolutely true.
However, the people of Tsugaru are saved by the flowers that bloom in spring, year after year. Let's call it the "mercy of flowers" that makes us forget the harsh snow. ......
Photo description (from top to bottom)
(1)Someiyoshino in full bloom (late April)
(2) Yaezakura (double-flowered cherry trees) come into full bloom later than Someiyoshino (mid-May).
(3) Rhododendron and camellia also bloom when Yae-zakura is in full bloom
