At the start of the school year, the well-known known cherry trees in front of the school were cut down (See story here). However, recently, the school has replaced the cut-down trees with new cherry trees. Many questions have been asked, such as why they cut down, what their intentions were, and if this is going to happen to the other trees present near the campus.
First, Mr. Kasai noted that he hired “a team of gardeners” to inspect the tree safety around April-May of 2025, and the two cherry blossom trees near the entrance have been identified as “safety concerns.” From one of those trees, a branch fell off in July, which led to the swift removal of the tree.
Of course, they intended to keep the students safe, but also, the trees were replaced around this time because “summer is not an ideal season for planting new trees.” Therefore, the new trees were replaced over the Christmas break, where the replacement conditions are much more optimal.
Lastly, the other cherry blossom trees that get flagged as a concern will keep on being replaced, especially the aged and damaged ones, to keep the students safe from branches falling off. The cherry blossoms are an iconic thing around the campus in the spring, and without these trees, the school campus will lose a bit of life. These replacements are meant to keep the students safe, but also not lose the liveliness of the school.
