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What we must do now to preserve the cherry blossoms that Hideyoshi loved for the future generations to come

“Spring comes when the cherry blossoms bloom in the Osaka Castle” has been a common wisdom among the people of Osaka. However, it is not widely known that this common wisdom has recently been challenged. What threatens it is the harm of “Kubiakatsuyakamikiri (Aromia bungii), an introduced invasive species of beetle. It is an insect that devours the insides of rose family of trees such as cherry, plum, and peach, and its harm to cherry trees has been spreading rapidly to various locations within Osaka City. According to the report of the task force of the Osaka Castle Park Management Consortium, although Kubiakatsuyakamikiri has not been spotted in the Osaka Castle Park, research to prevent damage before it occurs and information exchange among various related parties are being reinforced in an effort to protect the cherry trees in the Osaka Castle Park and pass them on to the future.