The 3rd International Fragrant Rose Trial in Echigo Hillside Park, Nagaoka Japan
Award-winning Entries

The International Fragrant Rose Trials is held every year by inviting applications of new fragrant roses from rose breeders 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 is held twice every spring and autumn by the Judging Committee comprising of experts of roses and fragrances to decide the award winning varieties.

The winning prizes are Gold Award, Silver Award and Bronze Award each for the specified four criteria. In addition, as special awards, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Award is presented to the highest score winner among the Gold Award Winners, Niigata Prefectural Governor's Award is presented to the highest 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.

Gold Award (Special prize : Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Award)

Category : S

Entry No. 28

Variety

Masora

Breeder

Teizo Yoshiike - Japan

Fragrance type

Fruity : Fruity and tea-like fragrance with refreshing sour taste like orange peels. Highly sophisticated fragrance with good harmony of feminine like sweetness and friendly cleanliness. Well balanced.

Gold Award (Special prize : Niigata Prefectural Governor's Award)

Category : HT

Entry No. 3

Variety

Momoka

Breeder

Syunsuke Takeuchi - Japan

Fragrance type

Tea : Tea-like Fruity fragrance with sweetness which reminds us of aroma essence of fresh geranium. Excellent fragrance with refinement and harmony accompanying refreshing sour taste of citrus fruits.

Silver Award

Category : HT

Bronze Award

Special prize: Nagaoka City Mayor's Award

Entry No. 36

Category

F

Variety

North Fragrance

Breeder

Teizo Yoshiike - Japan

Comments from Judging Committee members

Judging Committee Chairman:
Mr. Yoshihiro Ueda, Professor of Gifu International Academy of Horticulture

We have completed our examination of the 3rd International Fragrant Rose Trials and have decided on the winners.

We have received 55 applications for which we made fair and deliberate examination twice in spring and autumn. As for the result, we have come up with 2 Gold Award winners, 3 Silver Award winners and 4 Bronze Award winners. It should be noted that the score gap among the winners was very small, indicating very highly intensive competition.

The rose variety titled "Masora", the Gold Award winner with the highest total score was given high points in such judging criteria like quality of fragrance, beauty of blooming, growth strength and so on. It was an excellent variety with sound harmony of various fragrances and excellent balance in the character. "Momoka", the other Gold Award winner had received the highest points in such judging criteria like the strength of fragrance and quality of fragrance, indicating its excellence in the fragrance. We would like to add that Miniature (Min) type, that had been unable to receive any awards before, has received awards for the first time. We look forward to seeing more breeding of fragrant roses in the Min type in the future.

Although we have received 30 applications in the Shrub (S) type in the last Trials, this time, there were only 9 applications. Among the applied varieties, the most notable variety was the one classified in the Miniature type with rather large size of stock and flower petal. I think this may belong to the recently developed type of Miniature Flora or Patio family.

Judging Committee Vice Chairman:
Mr. Shoji Nakamura, President of International Fragrance and Culture Society

There were 55 applications to the 3rd International Fragrance Trials from both in and out of Japan. At this Trials again, generally speaking, the quality of fragrance was excellent. We have chosen 2 Gold Award winners, 3 Silver Award winners and 4 Bronze Award winners. Among the winning roses, 5 varieties were applied from overseas while 4 varieties were applied domestically, indicating the international characteristics of the Trials. Regarding the scores on fragrance criteria among the various types of roses, rather high points were given to Hybrid Tea type while Miniature type generally received lower points.

Among the award winners, "Masora", the winner of Gold Award and Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Award received review saying "Fruity and tea-like fragrance with refreshing sour taste like orange peels. Highly sophisticated fragrance with good harmony of feminine like sweetness and friendly cleanliness". "Momoka", the winner of Gold Award and Niigata Prefectural Governor's Award received a review saying "Fruity and tea-like fragrance with sweetness which reminds us of aroma essence of fresh geranium. Excellent fragrance with refinement and harmony accompanying refreshing sour taste of citrus fruits."

The Nagoka City Mayor's Award winner, "North Fragrance" also presented fairly high level of fragrance and was granted good review on its fragrance, almost close to the Bronze Award counterparts.

• The 1st International Fragrant Rose Trial in Echigo Hillside Park, Nagaoka Japan Award-winning Entries
• The 1st International Fragrant Rose Trial in Echigo Hillside Park, Nagaoka Japan Award-winning Entries

The 3rd 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, 2002.

(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, 2009

Judging and Commendation:

• Yoshihiro Ueda (Professor at Gifu International Academy of Horticulture)
• Shoji Nakamura (President of International Fragrance and Culture Society)
• Naoki Ishikawa (President of Niigata Rose Society)
• Katsuyuki Yomogida (Director of Rose Culture Institute)
• Kinichi Moriai (Perfumer)
• Kazuko Nomura (Vice President of Rose Culture Institute)
• Naoharu Watanabe (Professor at Graduate School of Science and Technology Shizuoka University)
• Yuki Mikanagi (Senior Researcher at Natural History Museum and Institute, Chiba)
• Jiro Katsuya (Honorary President of Keisei Rose Society)
• 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)
• Shinichi Ogawa (Manager of Echigo National Hillside Park Office)

Prizes

Gold, silver, and bronze prizes for each category.

Special prizes

(1)Minister of Land, Infrastructure Transport and Tourism Award (Top Award)

Given to the gold-award entry with the highest score.

(2)Niigata Prefectural Governor's Award

Given to the gold, silver or bronze-award entry with highest fragrance score

(3)Nagaoka City Mayor's Award

Given to the entry with the highest vote from the general public.