But not until you give up everything.
Monthly archives for June, 2011
Follow the path.
You've no idea what you'll find. Isn't that fun?
The Giant Trees of Tochigi: #54 The Giant Zelkova of Yakumo Shrine
Approaching the shrine from the street, before you take a single step upwards, your vision is dominated by the Giant Zelkova.
Number: 54
Name: Giant Zelkova of Yakumo Shrine (八雲神社のケヤキ)
Type: Japanese Zelkova (Zelkowa serrata)
Height: 28m
Trunk Circumference: 5.1m
Age: >300 years
Location: 栃木県大田原市黒羽田町 (36° 51′ 38″N 140° 07′ 21″E)
Date of Visit: 2011-5-21
On the left bank of the Naka River, at the east end of National Route 461′s Naka River Bridge, you find Kurobaneta-machi. Before Kurobane Town amalgamated into Otawara City in 2005, you could find the town hall here.
I do hope those aren't insect holes. I'd hate for something to happen to this tree, like the Giant Evergreen Oak of Takioka Onsen Shrine.
Yakumo Shrine is found on the high ground to the east of the old town hall. Stepping onto the stone staircase leading up to the shrine, you can’t help but notice a majestic tree at the top on your right-hand side. This is the Giant Zelkova of Yakumo Shrine. The thin rope encircling its trunk suggests that herein dwells a kami.
What a mighty tree.
In 1989, the first survey of Giant Trees was carried out, and this zelkova was recorded. Since that time, the trunk circumference has increased a further 25cm. Despite its advanced years, it’s still managing to carry on strong growth.
From low on the trunk and looking upwards, one can see that there were many branches at one time, but as they get thick, they seem to be shed. Perhaps they become too heavy for their own good. At any rate, in the months and years after such a shedding, this zelkova works to heal itself, and now the wounds of these lost brances are nothing more than lumps and bumps here and there.
Though obscured by leaves on this warm spring day, it seems that, once, long ago, the tree forked further up, but that the southermost half of the fork has been lost. One wonders how wide the canopy may have reached if that fork had continued to grow.
The roots don't have an easy time of it, but they've made do.
Before leaving, I gave this tree a hug. I couldn't not, it was just such a warm, inviting tree. I'll come back here one day. But, ever onwards!
I try to show you my Japan. Won’t you show us your Japan?
We wait.
One day you'll return.
A Kalanchoe
I don't know what variety of kalanchoe this is. i assume it's a kalanchoe, as it does that thing where it makes baby plants at the leaf edges. Any ideas? Thanks!
The Giant Trees of Tochigi: #59 The Giant Sawara Cypress of Nasu Shrine
Despite being labelled a tourist attraction, Nasu Shrine's grounds seem to be littered in scrap, and I know not why. Nevertheless, the Giant Sawara Cypress is still a sight to behold.
Number: 59
Name: Giant Sawara Cypress of Nasu Shrine (那須神社のサワラ)
Type: Sawara Cypress (Chamaecyparis pisifera)
Height: 31m
Trunk Circumference: 5.0m
Age: 250 years
Location: 栃木県大田原市南金丸 (36° 51′ 46″N 140° 05′ 17″E)
Date of Visit: 2011-5-21
Of the many giant trees on this path, the Giant Sawara Cypress is the greatest.
The path leading to Nasu Shrine opens up from National Route 461. In 2004, Nasu Yoichi no Sato Rest Area (道の駅 那須与一の郷) opened adjacent to the shrine grounds. Tradition states that Nasu Shrine was founded during the reign of Emperor Nintoku (who is said to have reigned from 313-399 CE and is entombed in Japan’s largest kofun, Daisen Kofun in Sakai City, Osaka). The shrine’s two-storey outer gate is one of Tochigi’s Tangible Cultural Properties. It is a lovely shrine, and it’s a shame about all the scrap littering the grounds.
The Sawara Cypress stands along the path leading to the shrine, set back a little ways from the path itself on the left side. Of course, on the grounds there are many great zelkovas and sawara cypresses, but this one seems to be the largest.
Here, too, stone lanterns have been tumbled by the earthquake of March 11th, and have not yet been righted.
御神木 - Sacred Tree. Bidding farewell, I toddle next door to the Michi no Eki for a brief respite before continuing my adventure.
I try to show you my Japan. Won’t you show us your Japan?
Euphorbia Suzannae
Shot just so they'd have an excuse to go to Bora Bora.
Amadan with Alocasia Cucullata
I am not prepared to limit our legitimate freedom to party.
The Giant Trees of Tochigi: #52 The Giant Evergreen Oak of Takioka Onsen Shrine
- This is how the Giant Evergreen Oak of Takioka Onsen Shrine appeared in November 2008, and how I expected it to look this time. I was unprepared for what I found.
Number: 52
Name: Giant Evergreen Oak of Takioka Onsen Shrine (滝岡温泉神社のアカガシ)
Type: Japanese Evergreen Oak (Quercus acuta)
Height: 21m
Trunk Circumference: 6.2m
Age: 700 years
Location: 栃木県大田原市滝岡 (36° 48′ 45″N 140° 01′ 55″E)
Date of Visit: 2011-5-21
Surrounded by a broad expanse of flat rice fields, Onsen Shrine lies on a small forested rise.
Onsen Shrine is located in Takioka, near the confluence of the Houki and Momomura Rivers, on a small, tree-laden rise amidst a sea of rice fields. In the shrine grounds, there were six evergreen oaks designated as Natural Monuments. Among those, however, one tree towered above the others, such that it could be seen from wherever one was in the rice fields. In its hunger for stronger light, this tree developed a lean, peeking out from under the cover of its neighbours to drink its fill and grow to great heights.
Though this rogue tree, going its own way, was huge, that does not seem to be the reason it was named a Natural Monument.
For an evergreen oak to grow in the wild, the mean average yearly temperature must not be less than 13°C. However, nowadays, in this part of Tochigi, the average temperature has dropped to just below 12°C. So, I guess, hundreds of years ago, the temperature must have been warmer, for these trees to have grown as they did. As these trees demonstrate that climate does change, they have been entered into the Natural Monument register.
For being able to read hints about past climate merely from the existence of these trees, one imagines that scholars must have smiled when they found them.
But you may have noticed I’ve been speaking in the past tense. The Giant Evergreen Oak of Takioka Onsen Shrine was huge; not is huge.
As this tree is located relatively close to the Giant Zelkova of Sakuyama, I headed here next. Arriving in the area, at first I was confused. Surely a tree of this size should be easy to spot. Ah, I thought, it leaned off the side of the hill, that’s a good hint to help me find it!
And then I spotted it.
The Giant Evergreen Oak of Takioka Onsen Shrine lay broken on the hillside.
I’m not sure when this happened. There was no mention of it on the information board, and I could find no one nearby to ask. It happened sometime since November 2008, as that’s when the pic at the top was taken. At first, I wondered if it had broken during the quake, but I realized that, if it had, it must have been on its last legs anyway, to have broken and to be in the condition its in now.
No, this probably happened a while ago. The fallen bits appear dead, and the smaller branches that ought to be on it seem to be gone.
One hopes that the roots are still strong, and from the ruined trunk, still firmly in the ground, new shoots will bring a rebirth for this great old tree.
I try to show you my Japan. Won’t you show us your Japan?
Echeveria Tundelii
Hey, were you in a commercial or were you in this thing or blahblahblah? No.
