Giving students an indoctrination instead of an education.
Cherry blossoms were NOT “stolen” from China.
Wild cherry species are indigenous to Japan, confirmed by independent, non-Japanese scientific research.
Peer-reviewed evidence:
• Cho et al., Frontiers in Plant Science (2019)
Wild flowering cherry species occur naturally across East Asia, including Japan, with independent evolutionary histories.
DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2019.01555
• Shen et al., International Journal of Molecular Sciences (2023)
Phylogenomic analysis confirms native Japanese wild cherry taxa within Prunus subgenus Cerasus, distinct from Chinese species.
DOI: 10.3390/ijms242115612
• Baek et al., Plant & Cell Physiology (2018)
Genomic sequencing shows wild cherry populations with native genetic lineages, not derived from ornamental imports.
DOI: 10.1093/pcp/pcy149
Bottom line:
China has native cherry species.
Japan also has native cherry species.
Modern ornamental sakura were bred later — from existing wild populations, not “stolen.”