In 1968, the rose was selected to be the official flower of Fuji City in Shizuoka Prefecture, where the Fuji Plant is located.
The rose is the flower that is most loved by people throughout the world, which makes it a good choice for the official flower in view of the fact that Fuji City has an international trading port, Tagonoura Port. Another reason is that the climate is conducive to growing roses at home, and their beauty and familiarity make them suitable for promoting the development of a beautiful community with a charming and harmonious atmosphere.
There are several places in Fuji City that are famous for roses. One is Fuji Central Park (about 10 minutes by car from the Fuji Plant). About 200 domestic and foreign varieties of roses including Kaguya Fuji, a variety original to Fuji City, are planted in the park. The rose arch is one of the attractions of the park; when the roses are in full bloom, it’s a popular spot with cameramen because Mt. Fuji can be seen right in the middle of the arch. The Fuji Rose Festival held in May every year features an exhibit of potted roses, advice from experts on how to grow roses, rose hip tea tasting, and other fun events. It’s certainly undisputable that people are fascinated by elegant roses and the splendid sight of Mt. Fuji, a World Heritage. Fuji City also has a spectacular cultural complex called the Rose Theater, named for the city’s roses, where the 25th Rose Summit is scheduled to be held next year. By capitalizing on the appeal of roses to enhance the community, Fuji City hopes to promote regional vitalization and greater interaction with cities and towns throughout the country. All of the rose bushes in the public areas of the city are trimmed and maintained by citizen volunteers. In Fuji City, the residents are united in the effort to popularize roses and further develop the use of roses as a means of creating a more beautiful community environment.
