The magnificent ‘Benten Sugi’. High up on a mountainside, stands one of the oldest of the few truly
The magnificent ‘Benten Sugi’. High up on a mountainside, stands one of the oldest of the few truly ancient Japanese cedar trees left in the whole of the 38,762 hectare park. It’s estimated to be up to 2000 years old, and although much younger than the 7000 year ‘Jómon Sugi’ on the old growth Yakushima Island, it stands in defiance of both time and man - a relic of a long lost forest. Japanese cedars are actually in the cypress family and are exceptionally waterproof and rot-resistant. The need for timber for wars and economic development has decimated Japan’s old growth forest. Standing beneath is awe-inspiring - and sad. Tanzawa Quasi-National Park, late December, 2015 © Tom Rapsey -- source link