The 8th International Fragrant Rose Trial in Echigo Hillside Park, Nagaoka, Japan(Echigo-IFRT)
Details of the result

The International Fragrant Rose Trials is held every year by inviting applications of new fragrant roses from rosebreeders not only in Japan but all around the world. All the applied nursery plants are planted and brought up for twoyears under exactly the same condition in the snowy and cold region of Japan. Then, examination session is held
twice every spring and autumn by the Judging Committee comprising of experts of roses and fragrances to decide theaward winning varieties.
The winning prizes are Gold Award, Silver Award and Bronze Award each for the specified four criteria. In addition,as special awards, Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Award is presented to the highest scorewinner among the Gold Award Winners, Niigata Prefectural Governor’s Award is presented to the highest scorewinner in the fragrance section among the winners of Gold, Silver and Bronze Awards, and Nagaoka City Mayor’s
Award is presented to the most popular variety among the general guests to the park.

<<Comments from Judging Committee Members>>
Judging Committee Chairman:
Yoshihiro Ueda, Principal of Gifu International Academy of Horticulture
This year we received a record number of entries for the 8th International Fragrant Rose Trials with 74 entries intotal. Every category was well represented this time with 30 hybrid tea entries, 21 floribunda entries, 18 shrubentries, and 5 entries in the miniature category.
Despite unusual weather patterns this year, including a sudden transition to high temperatures in spring,followed by a wet summer without the usual lingering summer heat, flowering progressed normally and wewere able to conduct a fair and deliberate examination twice, once in spring and once in autumn. We awarded
nine Bronze, Silver and Gold Awards in total, a Bronze, a Silver and a Gold for each category excluding theminiature category. Judging was challenging with fierce competition between the winning entries. The winning
entries all scored very highly and placings were decided by very narrow margins.
Ihatov no Kaori was the Gold Award winner in the floribunda category and also the recipient of the Ministry ofLand, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Award. It is a very well-balanced variety with a stunning transitionin color and bloom form during flowering. The Gold Award winner in the hybrid tea category, Etienne, scoredhighly for all features. It is a pleasing pink rose that blooms with neatly formed cups which open out intorosettes. Pub Rock was the Gold Award winner in the shrub category. It has dark pink voluminous flowers withlots of petals. It also scored highly for its fragrance. ZENfulavender, Silver Award winner in the floribunda
category and winner of the Niigata Prefectural Governor's Award, is a pale blue grey rose and was awarded thehighest points for fragrance. The Nagaoka City Mayor's Award was awarded to RT08973, which made afavorable impression on park visitors thanks to its eye-catching gorgeous scarlet red blooms and overall
prettiness.

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Judging Committee Deputy Chairman:
Yuji Ichikawa, Perfumer
We received a total of 74 entries from Japan and overseas for the 8th International Fragrant Rose Trials.
Despite an unseasonably hot spring followed by a cool wet summer, this year we had the highest number ofaward winners, with three Gold Awards, three Silver Awards and three Bronze Awards. The fragrance qualityof winning entries was high this year and there were many roses with complex scents.
The highest overall score was awarded to Ihatov no Kaori, the Gold Award winner in the floribunda category
and winner of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Award. It has a damask modern
fragrance described as “a luxuriously sweet, fresh, and well balanced rose fragrance with subtle nuances ofcitron lemon and soft tea accents.”
Pub Rock was the Gold Award winner in the shrub category and has a blue fragrance described as “a luxurious
blue rose fragrance with a harmonious blend of honey-like rose sweetness with fruity notes of fresh green apple
and apricot.” Etienne, Gold Award winner in the hybrid tea category, has a damask modern fragrance described
as being “a soft powdery scent on blooming, progressing to a fresh green scent with violet and leafy notes.
When the rose has fully bloomed the fragrance becomes increasingly fruity with berry notes and a honey-likesweetness to produce the classic rose fragrance.” The floribunda variety ZENfulavender was awarded highest
points for fragrance, as well as a Silver Award, and the Niigata Prefectural Governor's Award. It has a blue
fragrance. It was observed that “on blooming this rose has a fruity green scent with notes of hyacinth and green
apple, then the honey-like sweetness intensifies to create a bold yet elegant blue rose fragrance.”
RT08973, which was awarded The Nagaoka City Mayor's Award, has a tea fragrance described as “a soft
elegant tea rose fragrance which on blooming has a green scent with notes of fresh hyacinth married with afruity scent with apple notes.”

Category : Large-flowered Roses (HTs, Grandifloras)
Gold Award
Entry No.1
Variety : ‘Etienne’Breeder : Richard Huber AG – Switzerland
Flower : Blooms with neatly formed cups which open out into rosettes, as the petals transition from apricot pink to alight pink. Lateral buds bloom in numerous clusters.

Fragrance type : Damask Classic
A soft powdery scent on blooming, progressing to a fresh green scent with violet and leafy notes. Whenthe rose has fully bloomed the fragrance becomes increasingly fruity with berry notes and a honey-likesweetness to produce the classic rose fragrance.

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Silver Award
Entry No.4
Variety : Ihatov no Kaze
Breeder : Teizo Yoshiike – Japan
Flower : A cheerful orthodox hybrid tea variety with a well-balanced attractive bloom form and beautiful
salmon pink gradation.
Fragrance type : Tea
Throughout flowering this rose has a soothing tea rose fragrance with fruity peach notes and fresh herb-likehints of geranium.

Bronze Award
Entry No.42
Variety : Space Naoko
Breeder : Eiichi Arisaka – Japan
Flower : This variety has showy giant rosettes with bright pink petals which complement the colored leaves beautifully.
Fragrance type : Tea
A gorgeous high quality tea rose fragrance with a deep green scent with violet notes on blooming,
progressing to a fruity fragrance with berry notes and a honey-like sweetness.

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Category : Floribunda Roses (F)Gold Award
Special prize : Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Award
Entry No.37
Variety : Ihatov no Kaori
Breeder : Teizo Yoshiike – Japan
Flower : A cuplike bloom which transitions from apricot to light pink and doesn't lose its form until the end offlowering. A floriferous variety with lovely pea green leaves that complement the flower color well. Thisvariety flowers strongly throughout the year.

Fragrance type : Damask Modern
A luxuriously sweet, fresh, and well balanced rose fragrance with subtle nuances of citron lemon and soft
tea accents.

4Silver Award
Special prize : Niigata Prefectural Governor’s Award
Entry No.50
Variety : ZENfulavender
Breeder : Takashi Kawai – Japan
Flower : A beautiful bewitching variety with just the right number of petals balanced perfectly with the delicate palelavender frill which ripples the edge of the bloom.

Fragrance type : BlueOn blooming this rose has a fruity green scent with notes of hyacinth and green apple, then the honey-likesweetness intensifies to create a bold yet elegant blue rose fragrance.

Bronze AwardEntry No.26
Variety : KOR(s) KO 06/2134-06
Breeder : W.Kordes'Söhne Rosenschulen GmbH & Co KG – Germany
Flower : A charming well balanced bright magenta rose with rose pink striping on ruffled petals, complemented byelongated leaves.

Fragrance type : Damask Classic
A finely balanced elegant and gentle rose fragrance with the sweet and sour fruity aroma of apricot blended
with honey-like sweetness and leafy green notes.

5Category : Shrubs(S)Gold Award
Entry No.63
Variety : Pub RockBreeder : Fuminori Nukariya – Japan
Flower : A delightful round rose that holds its shape from budding through to full bloom. Its magenta pink coloring
does not fade until the end of flowering.

Fragrance type : BlueA luxurious blue rose fragrance with a harmonious blend of honey-like rose sweetness with fruity notes offresh green apple and apricot.

Silver Award
Entry No.72
Variety : Sheherazade
Breeder : Takunori Kimura – Japan
Flower : This rose has round pink petals tinged with purple. The flower is paler towards the edges of the petals. A
floriferous rose with nearly enough blooms on a single spray to make a bouquet.

Fragrance type : Damask ModernOn blooming this rose has a light powdery fragrance with iris notes which progresses to a rich rose fragrancewith fruity berry notes blended with the spiciness of cloves.

6Bronze AwardEntry No.67
Variety : Royal Jubilee
Breeder : David C.H. Austin – United Kingdom
Flower : A delicate mid-sized rose with a small number of petals. The thin drooping flower and stem looks lovely. Theround blooms curve inwards and have pink petals with pale undersides.

Fragrance type : Damask Modern
From a harmoniously blended fruity green scent with juicy watermelon and leafy notes, this rose
gradually develops into a strong sweet rose fragrance with accents of honey blended with elegant teanuances.

Special prize
Nagaoka City Mayor’s Award
Entry No.47
Category : HTs
Variety : RT08973
Breeder : Rosen Tantau – Germany
Flower : These blooms hold their shape right until the end of flowering. With its gorgeous scarlet color and large
number of petals, this variety stands out even when surrounded by other roses.

Fragrance type : Tea
A soft elegant tea rose fragrance which on blooming has a green scent with notes of fresh hyacinth married
with a fruity scent with apple notes.

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The 8th International Fragrant Rose Trial in Echigo Hillside Park, Nagaoka, Japan（Echigo-IFRT）◆Guidelines for Applications
1. Eligibility for Applications：Breeders both professional and amateur, in Japan and overseas.
2. Acceptable Rose Varieties:(1) Varieties which have never been on the market, or were made available for sale on or after the first of January,
2007.
(2) Categories of Acceptable Rose Varieties:
Part 1: Large-flowered Roses (HTs, Grandifloras)
Part 2: Floribunda Roses (F)Part 3: Shrubs(S)Part 4: Miniature Roses, Mini-floras, Patio Roses, and Polyanthas(Min)
Climbers are excluded from any of the above categories.
(3) The Number of Entries: There is no limitation on the number of varieties the breeder can enter into the trial.
(4) The Number of Trees per Variety:For each variety, four 2-to-3-year-old bare-root trees, either budded, grafted, or self-rooted.
3. Entry Fee : Free of charge◆The Periods of Judging: June and October, 2014
◆Judging and Commendation:
Yoshihiro Ueda（Principal of Gifu International Academy of Horticulture）
Yuji Ichikawa（Perfumer）
Naoki Ishikawa（President of Niigata Rose Society）
Naoharu Watanabe（Professor at Graduate School of Science and Technology Shizuoka University）
Yuki Mikanagi（Curator of Herbarium, Natural History Museum and Institute, Chib a）
Kazuko Nomura（Vice President of Rose Culture Institute）
Kin-ichi Moriai（Perfumer）
Yutaka Abe（Honorary President of Saitama Rose Society）
Hideko Ishiguro（Rose researcher, Director of Ishiguro Music Academy）
Ayako Takagi（Gardening Lecturer for Japan Broadcasting Corporation）
Minobu Maekawa（Garden Designer）
Naomi Okubo（ Senior Research Coordinator at National Institute of Floricultural Science, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization）
Junko Nagano（Senior Perfumer at Fragrance Creation Center, Corporate Research & Development Division, Takasago International Corporation ）Yoshinori Yamamoto（Director of Echigo Hillside National Government Park Office）◆Prizes: Gold, Silver, and Bronze Award for each category.
◆Special prizes: Minister of Land, Infrastructure Transport and Tourism Award (Top Award)
Niigata Prefectural Governor’s Award
Nagaoka City Mayor’s Award◇Exhibitors : 36 exhibitors◇The number of varieties : 74Varieties (HTs-30, F-21, S-18, Min-5)◇Participating nation : Japan, Australia, Denmark, France, Germany, India, Serbia, Switzerland, U.K.

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