The 6th International Fragrant Rose Trial in Echigo Hillside Park, Nagaoka, Japan
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
two years under exactly the same condition in the snowy and cold region of Japan. Then, examination session isheld twice every spring and autumn by the Judging Committee comprising of experts of roses and fragrances todecide the award winning varieties.
The winning prizes are Gold Award, Silver Award and Bronze Award each for the specified four criteria. Inaddition, as special awards, Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Award is presented to thehighest score winner among the Gold Award Winners, Niigata Prefectural Governor’s Award is presented to thehighest score winner 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
There were 48 entries in total for the 6th International Fragrant Rose Trials. A notable feature of these trials wasthe large number of Hybrid Tea entries. Of the 48 entries, 23 were in the Hybrid Tea category, 14 in theFloribunda category, 9 in the Shrub category, and 2 in the Miniature category.
This year spring flowering was delayed by the number of snow drifts and the late thaw. On top of that, thesummer heat was harsh and lingered for longer than normal. These conditions resulted in abnormal patterns ofgrowth, including early flowering in Autumn, many of the shoots failing to thrive, and plants developing lush
foliage but very few flowers. Despite these weather conditions, we were able to judge the entries twice, once inSpring and once in Autumn. We awarded three medals in the Hybrid Tea category, a bronze, silver and gold;
two medals in the Floribunda category, a silver and bronze; and two in the Shrub category, a gold and bronze.
Overall we awarded two gold, two silver and three bronze awards.
The Gold Award winner in the Hybrid Tea category, “YeLaiXiang” (night fragrant flower), has an elegant
mauve coloring and scored highest among the entrants. It was awarded top marks for its strength and quality offragrance in particular. It also excelled in the areas of growth and durability, and accordingly scored highly forbeing a very well balanced specimen. The Gold Award winner in the Shrub category, “Fuuka” (fragrant breeze),scored highly for its fragrance. Based on the beauty of its apricot-colored blooms as they change through thedifferent flowering stages, it was also awarded highest marks for beauty. Silver Award winner in the Floribundacategory, “Eyes for you”, has a unique blotch in the center of the bloom which complements the petal color. Italso has a strong fragrance. This variety scored highly for its charm and novelty. Silver Award winner in theHybrid Tea category, “Sarasvati”, has light pink flowers and scored highly for being a very well-balanced rosewith a high quality fragrance and a good form. “Sarasvati” also received the Nagaoka City Mayor’s award forleaving the greatest impression on park visitors with its beautifully colored plump blooms.

1Judging Committee Deputy Chairman:Yuji Ichikawa, Perfumer
We received a total of 48 entries from Japan and overseas for the 6th International Fragrant Rose Trials. Thisyear we awarded two gold, two silver and three bronze awards. There were two less award winners this year
compared with the results of last year’s trial and this may be due to the impact of unseasonable weather such as
the heat wave this summer and the lack of rain. However, the fragrance standard among the award winners wasvery high, with highest fragrance points being awarded to entrants in the Hybrid Tea category, followed byShrubs, Floribunda and Miniature categories, in that order.
Among the award-winning roses, the Hybrid Tea variety “YeLaiXiang” was a special triple award winner,winning a Gold Award as well as the Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Award and theNiigata Prefectural Governor's Award. “YeLaiXiang” earned highest points for both the strength and quality ofits fragrance. It has a blue fragrance described as “a bright and sophisticated fragrance combining a deep bluerose scent with refreshing notes of bergamot citrus and fruity sweetness.”“Fuuka”, the Shrub variety Gold Award winner, has a damask-classic fragrance described as “a full-bodied
well-balanced fragrance with green and tea accents blended with a honey-sweet rose scent.”
Winner of the Nagaoka City Mayor's Award and Silver Award winner “Sarasvati” has a “delicate elegant
fragrance with green and fruity accents blended with a lovely light rose-scent.”2

Category : HTs
Gold Award
Special prize : Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Award
Special prize : Niigata Prefectural Governor’s Award
Entry No.16
Variety : Yelaixiang
Breeder : Hirotatsu Aoki – JapanFlower : Round-form flowers with lovely round petals. Matching its blue rose fragrance this variety is
an elegant mauve color at the center graduating to a pale mauve at its edges.
Fragrance type : BlueA bright and sophisticated fragrance combining a deep blue rose scent with refreshing notes ofbergamot citrus and fruity sweetness.

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Special prize : Nagaoka City Mayor’s Award
Entry No.15
Variety : Sarasvati
Breeder : Kikuo Teranishi – JapanFlower : A very beautiful white bloom with pink in its center. An exceptionally well-balanced orthodox
variety with a feminine softness and fullness.
Fragrance type : Damask-Classic
A delicate elegant fragrance with green and fruity accents blended with a lovely light rose scent.

Silver AwardBronze Award
Entry No.17
Variety : Lady Eri
Breeder : Hironaka Otsuki – Japan
Flower : An eye-catching vibrant magenta colored bloom with pale undersides on the petals. The buds
are arranged beautifully. A glamorous rose when in full bloom.
Fragrance type : Damask-Classic
A light fresh fragrance with the sharp green aroma of hyacinth and geranium blended with agorgeous sweet rose scent.

4Category : F
Silver Award
Entry No.26
Variety : Eyes for You
Breeder : Peter J. James – U.K.
Flower : The claret-red blotch in the center of the bloom complements the white to pale lavendercolored petals. A charming and novel bloom.
Fragrance type : Spicy
A gorgeous rich fragrance with the sweetness of vanilla, heliotrope, and hyacinth green, blended
with notes of spicy rich cloves.

Bronze Award
Entry No.25
Variety : Velvety Twilight
Breeder : Takashi Kawai – Japan
Flower : Somewhat weak at cluster-flowering. However, it has a beautiful appearance with high quality
petals which are rippled on the edge and are a bluish tinged crimson color.
Fragrance type : Damask-Modern
A clean refreshing fragrance with hyacinth green and orange accents blended with a lightdamask-type sweet rose fragrance.

5Category : SGold Award
Entry No.42
Variety : Fuuka
Breeder : Teizo Yoshiike – Japan
Flower : A warm soft apricot colored bloom with gorgeous color progression through the flowering
stages from budding to petal fall. In full bloom, the flower is salmon pink.
Fragrance type : Damask-Classic
A full-bodied well-balanced fragrance with green and tea accents blended with a honey-sweetrose scent.

Bronze Award
Entry No.46
Variety : England’s RoseBreeder : David J.C. Austin – U.K.
Flower : A burning red-peach colored flower with lighter coloring on the outer edges of the petals. Thisvariety has a rosette bloom and shows a variety of colorful expressions. Blooms in bouquetlike clusters.
Fragrance type : Damask-Classic
A gorgeous fragrance with leaf green and spicy clove accents blended with a sweet powdery rosefragrance.

6The 6th International Fragrant Rose Trial in Echigo Hillside Park, Nagaoka, Japan◆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,
2005.
(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, 2012
◆Judging and Commendation:
Yoshihiro Ueda（Principal of Gifu International Academy of Horticulture）
Yuji Ichikawa（Perfumer）
Naoki Ishikawa（President of Niigata Rose Society）
Kin-ichi Moriai（Perfumer）
Kazuko Nomura（Vice President of Rose Culture Institute）
Naoharu Watanabe（Professor at Graduate School of Science and Technology Shizuoka University ）Yuki Mikanagi（Curator of Herbarium, Natural History Museum and Institute, Chib a）
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 Researcher 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 ）Yoshiaki Yatsuhashi（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 : 22 exhibitors◇The number of varieties : 48 Varieties (HTs-23, F-14, S-9, Min-2)◇Participating nation : Japan, Denmark, France, Germany, Romania, Switzerland, U.K.

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