The Englishman Who Saved Japan’s Blossoms

'Cherry' Ingram

A richly illustrated and award-winning Japanese biography, history and exploration of cherry blossom told through the life of an English amateur botanist, rewritten for English readers

This is not just a tale of trees, but of the symbolism of the cherry tree to Japan: of endeavour, war and reconciliation

Sympathetic and engrossing... a portrait of great charm and sophistication, rich in its natural and historical range, guaranteeing that you won’t look at cherry blossoms the same way again

A remarkable book…excellent...fascinating, a treat for gardeners, cherry-growers and historians

[A] deeply moving book -- beautifully written, and a huge achievement in terms of research

Set against the narrative arc of Japanese history, journalist Naoko Abe's account of the man behind the preservation of her country's national symbol is both sympathetic and compelling... On reading this book, beautifully illustrated with atmospheric period shots and colour plates, you may well determine, as I have, to visit Japan at cherry blossom time

[A] lovely book… Two tensions animate this book: the difficulty of sending fragile scions around the world and successfully grafting them; and the wrenching historical context… It is hard to view the blossoms of the somei-yashino with such tender joy after reading Ms Abe’s book

An engaging biography of a man who "helped to change the face of spring"

A page turner... Naoko Abe parallels her biography with a comprehensive history of cherries, intersected with major moments in Japanese history... There is a heartwarming end to the tale that the author spins with skill and erudition

‘Cherry’ Ingram is a meticulously researched book: Abe undertook dozens of interviews with relatives of the sakuramori… [and] sifted through Ingram’s extensive diaries and condenses the often impenetrable history of Japan’s feudal and imperial ages

After reading [‘Cherry’ Ingram], the annual ritual of hanami (flower-viewing) will never be quite the same again… an extraordinary story

In retelling [Ingram’s] story from her own cultural perspective, Abe has produced an engaging work that adds illuminating definition to the world about which he wrote

An enchanting story about an Englishman’s attempts to preserve Japan’s rich cherry tree heritage in the face of rapid modernization

An admiring and engaging portrait of an eccentric British enthusiast, one of the last great amateur naturalists of the Edwardian Era

Remarkable… Combining vast historical research, perceptive cultural interpretation, and a gift for keen, biographical storytelling, Abe’s study of one man’s passion for a singular plant species celebrates the beneficial impact such enthusiasts can have on the world at large

Lovers of the outdoors, especially gardeners, will find much to enjoy in Japanese journalist Abe’s first English-language book, which won the Nihon Essayist Club Award in 2016. The author engagingly chronicles the travels and plant-collecting adventures of Collingwood Ingram… Charming

Like the sakura itself, Ms. Abe’s book is a quiet pleasure

The irresistible story of Japanese cherry blossoms, threatened by political ideology and saved by an unknown Englishman 
 
'This is not just a tale of trees, but of . . . endeavour, war and reconciliation' Sunday Times 
 
Collingwood Ingram, born in 1880, became known as 'Cherry' for his defining obsession. As a young man, he travelled to Japan and learned of the astonishing displays of cherry blossoms, or sakura. 
 
On a return visit in 1926, Ingram witnessed frightening changes to the country's cherry population. A cloned variety was sweeping the landscape and being used as a symbol for Japan's expansionist ambitions. Determined to protect the diversity of the trees, Ingram began sending the rare varieties from his own garden in England back to Japan with the help of a network of 'cherry guardians'. 
 
This is an eloquent portrait of an extraordinary man whose legacy we enjoy every spring, and his unsung place in botanic history. 
 
'Engrossing . . . A portrait of great charm and sophistication' Christopher Harding, Guardian 
 
Winner of the 2020 Award for Excellence from The Council on Botanical and Horticultural Libraries

Naoko Abe

'In this beautiful chronicle stretching across a whole century and between continents, Naoko Abe reminds us of how human interconnections and inspirations help us rise above the terrors and divisions of war.'

Bill Emmott, writer and chairman of the Japan Society of the UK

‘One of the most moving true stories I have ever read, touching on all human emotions, strengths and weaknesses. Its mixture of happiness and sorrow, hope and horror played havoc with my spirits and brought many a tear to my eyes. I am amazed at the depth and geography of Naoko Abe’s research and travels in piecing together such a multitude of stories. Throughout, the cherries keep the main story moving. Despite the sadness and the darkness, love and belief prevail.'

Roy Lancaster, CBE, former presenter of BBC TV’s ‘Gardeners’ World’ and BBC Radio 4’s ‘Gardeners’ Question Time’.

The Martyr and the Red Kimono is a rich and inventive biography of three men who never met but who shared a deep dedication to the betterment of humanity. In chronicling the lives of Father Maximilian Kolbe, murdered at Auschwitz, Tomei Ozaki, witness to the bombing of Nagasaki, and Masatoshi Asari, who sent Japanese peace symbols around the globe, Naoko Abe not only honours three inspirational figures but provides a compelling and unexpectedly positive account of a century of spiritual, cultural and political links between East and West.

'Naoko Abe reminds us that despite humanity’s brutality, hope endures in the simplest of messages: stop killing, renounce war and never forget love. '

'Vivid, absorbing, and compelling'

Catherine Coldstream, author of Cloistered: My Years as a Nun

'a rich and inventive biography ..a compelling and unexpectedly positive account of a century of spiritual, cultural and political links between East and West.'

'Ultimately, the winning charm of Abe’s book ... is the epic scale of its historical lens, which draws so much of its power from human subjects that lived through, and were immersed in, the full panoply of change our all-too fragile world underwent through the 20th century. Figures like Ozaki and Asari - from humble roots to great ambitions - feel like indomitable fighters pushing against the very fabric of history’s grand narratives of war and peace; striving ever onward with goals which are both deeply personal and also tied up with the very idea of humanity.'

'Her virtues as a stylist shine... her tone balances impartiality and vividness'

'It leaves behind it a moving glow of human connectedness, across the barriers of death and geography.'

'Abe rather brilliantly weaves individual lives into broader Japanese and global stories ... [and] draws out the humanity (of Kolbe and Ozaki) in beautiful ways.'

Christopher Harding, BBC Hitsory Magazine

'Few books these days cause my tears to flow, but this one had me at times crying helplessly ... Buy it. Be horrified. Be uplifted'

'I am personally very grateful Noako Abe for this outstanding piece of work'

'[A] remarkable tale of the interconnectedness of humanity'

A Fearless Priest’s Sacrifice and A New Generation of Hope in Japan

The remarkable true story of Saint Maximilian Kolbe, and the two men in war-torn Japan whose lives he changed forever. 
 
On the 14th of August 1941, a Polish priest named Maximilian Maria Kolbe was murdered in Auschwitz. 
 
Kolbe's life had been remarkable. Fiercely intelligent and driven, he founded a movement of Catholicism and spent several years in Nagasaki, ministering to the 'hidden Christians' who had emerged after centuries of oppression. A Polish nationalist as well as a priest, he gave sanctuary to fleeing refugees and ran Poland's largest publishing operation, drawing the wrath of the Nazis. His death was no less remarkable: he volunteered to die, saving the life of a fellow prisoner. 
 
It was an act that profoundly transformed the lives of two Japanese men. Tomei Ozaki was just seventeen when the US dropped an atomic bomb on Nagasaki, destroying his home and his family. Masatoshi Asari worked on a farm in Hokkaido during the war and was haunted by the inhumane treatment of prisoners in a nearby camp. Forged in the crucible of an unforgiving war, both men drew inspiration from Kolbe's sacrifice, dedicating their lives to humanity and justice. Ozaki followed in his footsteps and became a friar. Asari created cherry trees as peace offerings. 
 
In The Martyr and the Red Kimono, award-winning author Naoko Abe weaves together a deeply moving and inspirational true story of resistance, sacrifice, guilt and atonement.

Naoko Abe

Praise for The Martyr and the Red Kimono

'In this beautiful chronicle stretching across a whole century and between continents, Naoko Abe reminds us of how human interconnections and inspirations help us rise above the terrors and divisions of war.'

‘One of the most moving true stories I have ever read, touching on all human emotions, strengths and weaknesses. Its mixture of happiness and sorrow, hope and horror played havoc with my spirits and brought m ...

The Martyr and the Red Kimono is a rich and inventive biography of three men who never met but who shared a deep dedication to the betterment of humanity. In chronicling the lives of Father Maximilian ...

'In this beautiful chronicle stretching across a whole century and between continents, Naoko Abe reminds us of how human interconnections and inspirations help us rise above the terrors and divisions of war.'

‘One of the most moving true stories I have ever read, touching on all human emotions, strengths and weaknesses. Its mixture of happiness and sorrow, hope and horror played havoc with my spirits and brought m ...

The Martyr and the Red Kimono is a rich and inventive biography of three men who never met but who shared a deep dedication to the betterment of humanity. In chronicling the lives of Father Maximilian ...

'In this beautiful chronicle stretching across a whole century and between continents, Naoko Abe reminds us of how human interconnections and inspirations help us rise above the terrors and divisions of war.'

‘One of the most moving true stories I have ever read, touching on all human emotions, strengths and weaknesses. Its mixture of happiness and sorrow, hope and horror played havoc with my spirits and brought m ...

The Martyr and the Red Kimono is a rich and inventive biography of three men who never met but who shared a deep dedication to the betterment of humanity. In chronicling the lives of Father Maximilian ...

Books by Naoko Abe

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