The roadside Zelkova trees in the Sunagawa High way (Itsukaichi High-way) used to be well-known because they grew thick even in the day time In those days thick Zelkova rose to the sky in the yards of the farms and served as waymarks to travelers. But most of them have been cut down and only slight vestige of Musashino has remaind today because of the urbanization and the difficulty with its maintenance and care.

The Zelkoves in the residence of Mr. Hanjuro Tamura, a sake brewer, in Fussa, were 1,000 years old but the branches, which have grown thick 40 meters high, have been damaged here and there. That is why Hanjuro, a master, has asked Dr.Tadahiko Yamano, an authority, to treat those trees, saying we have the responsibility that we defend the trees, life and hand down them to the future geverations through any efforts because they have lived so long.

Those 100-year-old Zelkovas are Dr.Yamano's 1.020th "patient tree", he says. For 30years he has been requested to travel go all over Japan. and help withering trees with a history. This is shown by his sunburnt face, where the traces are engraved and his beard (mustache) makes him look like a dignified, stubborn father.

The treatment by Dr.Yamano starts from scraping the spoiled part. then the part is coated by "Curlcoat" which is made up of a pesticide, a germicide, an adhesive, and so on , in order to protect it. In time the bark covers the surface of the part, and then the part is cured as it used to be. As for a very old tree whose trunk is completely spoiled and whose bark is barely alive, its inside is scraped and filled up with clay. Then the furface is covered with motar.

The teatment is that a hair root from the bark comes back to thebase and that the roots can get thick enough to slurp water andnourishment and can revive. If Dr.Yamano is asked how to make the clay with "Curlcoat" and some nutrient, he says he surely leaves it when he retires or passes away.

　

The local team traders set up scaffolding around the Zelkovas whichis as tall as the building of 13 stories. That is a large-acale work. The workers with a lifeline skillfully keep treating every tree one by one. That is how the Zelkovas revive and ang over the warehouse like an umbrella for another hundreds of years. They let the temperature settlde in the warehouse against strong sunshine and preserve the enviroment suited for brewing sake.

　　

［Its foundation］

In1822 (in 5 of Bnsei), Kanjiro tamura，the fifth headman of village called Fussa-mura started brewing sake. He had a vast residence along the river called Tamagawa-Jousi. The masters of this family has been given a name "Hanjuro" for four generations from the 12th. It had controlled 24 stores in the districts of Tama, Saitama and Kanagawa from the time of the foundation to the middle of Meiji era. Many of those stores set up on their own.

［Its brand］

There are 90 kinds of sake, all of which are named "kasen" Nothing is more important to sake than water. When the business was started, it was very difficult to find awell rich in water, in spite of digging here and there in the district. Thanks to the aivice by Shinto priests in shrines, old men or fortune tellers by the direction the family maned to strike water called "Chichibu-fuku-ryusui" and they gave the name "Kasen", whose meaning is a pleasant spring. All of the water needed for brewing sake has been dipped up from the well up to now.

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

［A rare sake］

In 1973 the head of official judges in the Tokyo Regional Taxation Bureau offered that such a sake as "Koshino Kanbai", which is regerded as rare sake, should be brewed in Tokyo, a big consuming area The condition is that the sake, should be the second -grader purely brewed and 65% refined. In those days it was exceptionally luxurious second-grader. It is now called "kasen", a best selling rare sake. One reason why it is popular is that it is refined at a water mill. The water there is irrigated from Tamagawa-jousi.

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

［touji］

Brewers are generally called Touji in Japanese, but the only master has the name in a sake brewery. The others are called "Kurabito" kurabito (including one Touji) have been working from in November to in April. They are from Iwate Prefecture, a hometown of touji of the South. Touji people used to sing furing the work. The songs are said to serve as hitting the delicate timing for the various procefures. today they don't sing but use clocks.

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

［The present master］

The present Hanjuro Tamura is the 15th master in the tamuras and the seventh as a brewer. He went to war as a university student and was detained in Siberia. He came back home in 1947 and engaged in his family buisiness. In 1979 he got the name of Hanjuro because of his father's death. His eldest son, Seiichiro, is a successor He had woked for wines and spirits company after he graduated from university. Now he is married and has got the mame Hanjuro. He works outside the office.