Honsha osugi (Japanese Cedar) - Nara, Japan
N 34° 40.890 E 135° 50.902
53S E 577714 N 3838050
This 1000 year old exceptional cedar tree is located in Nara Park Japan near the Kasuga-Taisha.
Waymark Code: WMBG5G
Location: Nara, Japan
Date Posted: 05/17/2011
Views: 9
This great 1000 year old tree has become a shrine. People from all around the world come to the shrime and pay respect and prayers at this site. The tree is on an illustrated hand scroll that contains depictions of the miracles of the Kasuga Deity, the tutelary god of the Fujiwara clan. The deity was worshipped at the Grand Shrine of Kasuga (Kasuga Taisha), which wielded great political and cultural influence along with Koufukuji with which the shrine was intergrated.
The reason this scroll was created is clear by the catalogue attached stating that it was planned by Saionji Kinhira, member of the Fujiwara clan, to express gratitude towards the prosperity of the Fujiwara family and prayers for future prosperity, and that the words were written by the former kanpaku (chief adviser to the Emperor) Takatsukasa Mototada and his sons, and the Painting was by Takashina Takakane, chief painter of the Court. The exquisite depiction done by orthodox Yamatoe technique is outstanding and it is one of the foremost works among our cultural heritage for its value as material showing the customs of the time, and as a completely existing pictorial scroll made of fragile silk. It was originally a treasure passed down in the Kasuga Taisha Shrine, but was stolen in the end of the Edo period, and eventually collected by Takatsukasa Masahiro, and presented to the Court from the Takatsukasa family.
Information about the tree is on a plaque at the tree.
Information from website below. (
visit link)