2023-09-13 21:00:00
Although the rows of ginkgo trees in Meiji Jingu Gaien in Tokyo will not be cut down for future redevelopment, there are concerns that the construction work will have a negative impact on their growth. The tree was planted in 1923, exactly 100 years ago. The document states, “It has survived to this day without a single piece missing.” However, this newspaper received a letter describing the experience of “a tree that fell down in a typhoon in 1938, and was replanted as a volunteer effort.” If it’s true, it overturns the established theory. What was happening in Gaien 85 years ago? (Masutake Kato)
◆“Labor service” written in the post 85 years ago
“Each tree is like our own child, carefully planted. Over the years, it has become a world-class landscape. I want it to remain forever.”
Mr. Fumio Nakazato talks about the tree planting for labor service at Meiji Jingu Gaien.
The person who wrote the letter, Fumio Nakazato (103), spoke passionately about his feelings for the ginkgo trees at his home in Tokorozawa City, Saitama Prefecture.
According to the letter, the replanting took place in September 1938. That year, a typhoon hit Tokyo directly from August 31st to September 1st, and the strong winds toppled trees along streets and in parks. According to Nakazato, after the typhoon passed, many students were sent to work to repair the building.
At the time, he was 18 years old, a student at a normal school that trains teachers, and living in a dormitory in Tokyo. At the direction of the school, 50 dormitory residents changed into work clothes, changed trains, and headed to Gaien.
◆”The ginkgo biloba was blown away. I did it like crazy.”
“The ginkgo trees were blown away. We dug a hole with a prepared shovel, planted a tree about 1.5 to 2 meters high, filled it with soil, and trod it down with our feet. The weather had passed after the typhoon, and the lingering heat was severe, but I did it like crazy.”
Students carrying soil as part of their labor service.A photo from a different day from the work at Meiji Jingu Gaien
Afterwards, Nakazato joined the military and reached the end of the war in Hokkaido, where he was assigned a mission related to cryptography. When she returned to Tokyo in October 1945, the city had changed due to the air raids, but what caught her attention was the rows of ginkgo trees.
“Ueno Station is just a platform. All that remains is a burnt-out ruin. There is no food, no shelter. Even thinking about it now brings tears to my eyes. But I was worried about Ginkgo. I was relieved to see that it was safe.”
After the war, Mr. Nakazato became a teacher at a metropolitan high school. In autumn, when the leaves change color, she goes to see the rows of ginkgo trees like every year.
People walking along the ginkgo trees in Jingu Gaien, stepping on fallen leaves (Photo taken on December 3, 2022)
“The landscape in autumn, when the leaves fall and the road becomes like a yellow carpet, is a beautiful and atmospheric landscape created by the passage of time.We must raise our voice against a situation that could lead to the death of ginkgo trees. I thought I couldn’t go.”
Ginkgo trees in Meiji Jingu GaienAs part of the construction of Meiji Jingu Gaien, which commemorates the virtues of Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken, 146 ginkgo trees, grown from seeds collected at Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden and growing to a height of about 6 meters, were planted in 1923. The trees will be planted in descending order of height from the Aoyama-dori side (Aoyama Exit) toward the Shotoku Memorial Art Gallery, using perspective to highlight the art gallery.
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