Reflections on Trees (part 2)

I spent a lot of time thinking about, noticing, the ways in which Japan and Britain are different. Japanese cities are very grey, not much in the way of green spaces, and domestic gardens (certainly in urban areas) were very minimal, often just some pots outside on the doorstep. It made me feel that my tiny yard was quite generous after all. But the Japanese take their trees very seriously. The cherry blossom forecasts on the telly tell people where the best blooms are and autumn leaf displays are treated with the same enthusiasm. 

On my second day in Japan I took the train while Monkey was at school to Omiya to the Bonsai Museum. I assumed it was 'just' a bonsai museum, but it turns out it is 'the' bonsai museum. It was created as part of the Bonsai Village, established 100 years ago for bonsai growers who came to live together (who's gardens you can also apparently visit) and be a centre of bonsai growing.

Some of them have names: this one is Juun and is an 800 year old Japanese Juniper.

There are words for all the different styles of bonsai and for things like the whitened dead wood that is created as a decorative feature. 

It would be lovely to come again in the autumn to see the maples change colour, as of course many were not yet in leaf, but there was this beautiful bonsai cherry.

First morning on Shikoku we are driving up into the mountain when Monkey spots a sign that says 'Big Tree', so what else could we do but stop off. Many trees are sacred in Japan (and not necessarily just the ones in shrines like this) indicated by the rope, which was frustrating as I assumed it meant no touching. Though split at the trunk I believe it was one tree:

and you can see here panels of copper that had been used to protect the hollow parts from rotting away. 

This is the camphor tree at the Oyamazumi Shrine on Omishima. 

It is 3,000 years old.

We visited it for breakfast when we stayed nearby:

I didn't seem to take as many photos of cherry blossom as I imagined. There were random blossom trees in amongst the evergreens on mountain sides everywhere but they were not quite in full bloom and I kept waiting for one that stood out. The magnolias on the other hand were almost over, and Monkey kept referring to them as 'poor man's cherry blossom' but we did try to appreciate them too.

This is Neagari Goyo-Matsu Pine Tree, in the Ritsurin Garden, originally a bonsai, then planted out and allowed to grow (more of the garden to come):

Definitely go to Japan for the trees ... and not just the blossom.