OKINAWA, Jun 22 (News On Japan) –
Deep within the World Heritage-listed island of Yakushima stands the Jomon Sugi, a large cedar tree lengthy seen because the island’s image. However current protection has revealed that there are a number of different timber rivaling and even exceeding its measurement.
The invention got here by way of unique entry granted to veteran mountain loggers often known as “Yamashi,” who know the island’s forests higher than anybody. For the primary time, tv cameras entered these secret areas, guided by the Yamashi.
The Jomon Sugi towers at 22.2 meters with a trunk circumference of 16.1 meters, making it the biggest tree at the moment recognized on Yakushima. Its twisted, rugged kind differs from the straight progress seen in youthful timber. Estimates of its age fluctuate broadly, starting from 2,000 to 7,200 years. Yearly, about 50,000 hikers go to Yakushima hoping to see the Jomon Sugi.
Nevertheless, it has now been confirmed that there are not less than 4 different timber comparable in measurement to the Jomon Sugi. JNN’s digicam captured these giants for the primary time. Yakusugi, the time period for cedar timber over 1,000 years outdated, develop in forests that contributed to Yakushima’s inscription as a World Pure Heritage website.
The staff accompanying the reporters consisted of Yamashi — skilled mountain staff who’ve spent many years reducing and managing the island’s timber. Entry was granted to restricted nationwide forest land the place these timber stand. As a result of risks of getting misplaced within the dense forest, the Yamashi had lengthy saved the existence of a few of these big timber a secret.
Led by Yamashi professional Ryuji Honda, the staff left the established climbing paths and ventured into deep wilderness. On Yakushima, the soil is skinny and plenty of timber root instantly into rock surfaces. The island’s complete ecosystem has fashioned underneath these harsh circumstances, with timber rising slowly over centuries.
After two hours of trekking by way of thick vegetation, the staff reached a towering cedar in contrast to any seen earlier than. Although the highest of the tree had already damaged and its life as a single tree had ended, new vegetation had been rising on its trunk, remodeling it right into a residing forest of its personal. Measuring its circumference with a tape confirmed it to be about 16 meters — practically the identical because the Jomon Sugi.
“Fortuitously, the Yamashi selected to not reduce this tree,” mentioned Honda. “I’m deeply grateful for that call.”
Throughout Japan’s postwar financial growth, Yakushima’s forests had been closely logged to satisfy hovering demand for building timber. Even centuries-old Yakusugi timber had been harvested underneath nationwide coverage. Amongst those that skilled this intense logging interval was Minoru Honda, Ryuji’s father, as soon as often known as Yakushima’s high logger. Minoru, who handed away final yr, as soon as remarked that a number of timber as massive because the Jomon Sugi nonetheless stay within the forest.
A photograph survives of 1 such tree, with a diameter exceeding 5 meters. This tree stays standing within the forest to this present day. Earlier than beginning work, Minoru would all the time pray on the mountain shrine, believing that the spirit of the mountain deserved respect. “Even when folks don’t know, I all the time carried my providing to the mountain god earlier than I started reducing,” he recalled.
For practically twenty years, reporters adopted the lives of the Yamashi as they fastidiously extracted massive logs by reducing them into sizes that may very well be airlifted by helicopter. These logs had been gathered at assortment factors and transported to villages that after flourished as Japan’s largest timber provide hubs. At its peak, some 500 folks lived in these mountain settlements, full with homes, shops, barbershops, and faculties. Trolleys carrying Yakusugi logs ran by way of the villages, offering livelihoods for the residents.
Nevertheless, because the forests had been quickly depleted, jobs vanished and the settlements had been finally deserted. Within the Nineteen Eighties, rising consciousness of environmental preservation halted the remaining logging operations. Immediately, solely 4 Yamashi stay. They now deal with harvesting stumps and fallen Yakusugi timber to be used in crafts, the place the tightly packed progress rings create distinctive patterns.
Ryuji Honda has inherited his father’s need to go on the Yamashi custom to future generations. “There’s most likely nobody else doing this work in all of Japan. It will be nice if extra folks got here ahead, however for now, we feature on.”
Felling these historical timber requires extraordinary talent. If reduce incorrectly, the heavy logs can lure chainsaws or trigger lethal accidents. One misstep can result in catastrophic penalties, and the Yamashi’s experience is continually examined. When reducing into decayed or hole cores, the change within the wooden’s resonance alerts to skilled Yamashi the place to chop subsequent, however such refined clues are tough for youthful staff to detect.
On one other expedition, Ryuji took his high apprentice, Yamashi member Matsumoto, deep into the forest. After an hour of climbing by way of thick undergrowth, they found one other large cedar. “It’s simply as large because the others, possibly round 3,000 years outdated,” mentioned Ryuji. This tree, just lately documented on digicam for the primary time, ranks because the third largest recognized on Yakushima, although even many forestry consultants are unaware of its existence.
Yakushima receives roughly 10,000 millimeters of rainfall yearly — six instances Japan’s nationwide common. The mountain ridges and slender climbing paths are surrounded by distinctive vegetation that thrive in these moist circumstances. Additional into the forest, the staff encountered yet one more big cedar, which Ryuji estimated to be over 2,000 years outdated. “There was once many timber like this,” he mirrored, “which reveals how wealthy the forest as soon as was.”
One tree particularly haunted Minoru Honda throughout his lifetime. “Often one big tree standing alone doesn’t trouble me,” he mentioned, “however sometimes, you’ll discover two huge timber whose branches intertwine as if locked collectively. The outdated people mentioned these timber had been sacred and residential to gods.” That story, quietly handed down among the many Yamashi, lives on.
Accompanied by his staff, Ryuji once more ventured into the deep mountains to find this mysterious sacred tree. After about an hour of climbing in heavy rain, they reached the tree often known as the “second technology cedar.” Its base far exceeded the scale of the Jomon Sugi. This distinctive formation arose when a second Yakusugi grew atop the stump of a beforehand felled big, making a stacked formation. The unique base was estimated to be 3,000 years outdated, whereas the newer progress that sprouted from it had been rising for two,000 years. The circumference measured 21 meters.
“That is the biggest second-generation Yakusugi I’ve ever seen,” mentioned Ryuji. “The unique should have been reduce round 2,000 years in the past.”
For the Yamashi, whose title initially referred not solely to mountain masters but in addition to servants of the mountains, the forests are greater than a office — they’re sacred. Whereas they reduce some timber to maintain their livelihoods, in addition they preserved many giants. The seeds that fall from these surviving timber will proceed to regenerate the forest, guaranteeing Yakushima’s residing legacy for generations to return.
Supply: TBS
