Boarded Up Tree
The fact that Japanese people are some of the most long lived in the world is pretty well known by now, but even they live very short lives compared to Japanese trees. I’ve been in quite a few countries around the planet but I have never seen as many old trees as in Japan. Here there are ancient giants everywhere. Of course the most famous old trees of Japan are on the island of Yakushima, including the 2000-7000 year old Jomon Sugi、or the incredible 65km long avenue of Sugi (Japanese Cedar) that leads pilgrims to the grave of Tokugawa Ieyasu and was planted about 400 years ago. But really, you often don’t have to go further than to your local shrine to see some very old trees. While in Omiya I saw this tree, a giant (Cryptomeria japonica?) that is so old the core has completely rotted out. This being safety minded Japan, naturally the old tree has been boarded up to keep people out of it. I don’t know about you, but I have never seen doors and locks on a tree before!
I believe that the Japanese religion of Shinto is to thank for the abundance of old growth trees even in urban areas. These trees are believed to house kami (spirits or Gods) that protect the neighborhood and people are very reluctant to cut them down. In fact, the cutting of an old tree is such a dastardly deed that even when absolutely necessary, many people will hire a non-local to do it. This specialist will perform rituals to appease the Gods and the wrath of the locals. I’d hate to be an arborist in Japan!
@ All images copyrighted. Please use only with permission.
Tokyobling's Blog 
Goodday
I’m new here and just wanted to drop by with a little “hello” message (sorry if I have posted in the wrong section!)
My name is Courtney, mom to two lovely boys, and a parttime soccer coach!
I’m here to sniff around and gather some information, so please welcome me :O)
Have a fantastic day!
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Thank you for the comment Encattnor! Hope to see you back here soon again! Soccer is a fantastic game, I was in a junior team myself, a long time ago.
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Yet they stockpile old-growth trees that were clearcut in the USA. And they slaughter Dolphins at this time every year too. AND they are killing off sharks for fins and tuna for sushi AND the atrocity of the whale hunts. Glad that Australia is taking them to World Court.
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Hi Oso Rojo, and thank you for the thoughtful comment. Please see my reply to the comment from Skratches on this thread, as you both raise some of the same issues. Clear cutting, especially of old growth trees is an international problem that needs to be addressed by international governing bodies under international binding bilateral agreements, similar to the Kyoto protocol or the ongoing Nagoya talks.
The sad (and indefensible) slaughter of dolphins is a problem that in reality is dwarfed by the larger problem of trawling, fishing by products, industrial pollution and destruction of many dolphin habitats world wide. The fishermen of the one village in Japan where this is practiced makes for an easy target though, and I believe that many Japanese are perplexed as to why the international community is taking this so seriously when thousands of dolphins are killed every month as a result of bad fishing practices.
Again, I am not defending the killing of any animals (although I am guilty by association, as I eat meat and wear leather, use a computer containing precious metals mined from areas where the local wildlife is exterminated, sometime I even eat salmon that might have been farmed unsuitably and I sometimes drive vechicles using fossil fuels that are killing our planet, and I assume that you are doing this too right now). This is, actually, keeping me up at nights.
Personally, I am 100% for an international moratorium on fishing. That would save both dolphins, whales and sharks! I am also glad that Australia is taking Japan to the world court on the matter, perhaps the legal procedures can start an international debate on the matter?
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Wonderful way to comeback a potentially offensive comment. Oh and I loved the bit about being guilty by association 🙂
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Well, I actually agree with the comments. I am all for protecting old growth forest and marine life. As human beings we all share the responsibility to protect the environment…!
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Then why do they delight in buying old growth trees from Oregon for temple construction? Are they trying to curse us by enraging the kami of Native Americans? I have Princess Mononoke and will be holding her hostage until I get answers.
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Hi Skratchez, and thank you for the comment! I didn’t know that Japan imports Oregon timber, I guess the quality, ease of import and price makes it more worthwhile than sourcing from domestic producers? I think that is a question we should better put to Oregon forest owners or U.S. federal legislators though. I do understand that logging and forestry from undeveloped countries suffering from low living standards and corruption is a serious problem, but I don’t think we can include the state of Oregon in that category.
As for the underlying root of the problem, I assume it’s the old “out-of-sight, out of mind”, which seems to be a general condition of the human race.
By the way, the bit about Princess Mononoke? I think it’s brilliant. It would be a great way to highlight the issue both abroad (outside of Oregon and Japan) if you were to use that theme in gras-roots (tree roots?) campaign to raise awareness of the plight of old growth forests worldwide! Get at cute model, dress her up as Princess Mononoke and tie her up to a tree. Issue press releases and have the images go viral on the Internets. I’m sure they’ll end up in Japanese media as well as U.S. media. I certainly promise to post them on this blog (making an exception to my general principle that I only post my own photos).
I would do this myself if I could find the time and the money. I’m sure there are legal issues, copyrights and so forth, but nothing that a good U.S. lawyer wouldn’t be able to negotiate with the copyright holders of Princess Mononoke.
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this is really beautiful, i can imagine all sorts of children’s stories springing up around these boarded up trees!
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Thanks Gugaw! I know that wardrobes and rabbit holes have been used in fiction as mystical portals into other worlds, but the simple holed tree would make for a great story start! Time to get writing perhaps…?
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