IWAKI, Fukushima Prefecture--Business was brisk Nov. 2 as customers snapped up cyclamen plants grown by Iwaki Agricultural High School students, resuming a local tradition for the first time since Japan's 2011 quake, tsunami and nuclear disaster.
IWAKI, Fukushima Prefecture--Business was brisk Nov. 2 as customers snapped up cyclamen plants grown by Iwaki Agricultural High School students, resuming a local tradition for the first time since Japan's 2011 quake, tsunami and nuclear disaster.The cyclamen are grown by the third-year horticulture students as part of regular coursework in the school’s greenhouses. A sale used to take place annually.But the school was unable to cultivate the plants last year because of disruptions to the water supply in the aftermath of the disaster.Today, two of the school’s five greenhouses remain damaged.However, 1,500 cyclamen plants are now in bloom, creating a dazzling display of red and white flowers."I am glad to see local residents come to purchase our cyclamen," said Ikumi Suzuki, 18, a third-year student. "Even if buildings were destroyed, the hearts of local residents remain as warm as ever."