Multi Millennial Tree

by Akshaya Kamat (Singapore)

I didn't expect to find Japan

It is mid-April, when we land in Kagoshima, the mighty Sakurajima volcano is shrouded in a mix of mist and ash. With the rain, it is also a little difficult to differentiate between the rumbles from the active volcano and thunder. From here, we take the hydrofoil to Yakushima. Yakushima lies off the coast of Kyushu in Japan, dramatically surrounded by several active volcanoes. UNESCO designated for its varied ecosystem of ancient cedar forests and rugged mountains, its moss-covered trees are inspirationally beautiful. These ancient forests are the setting for the famous Ghibli film, Princess Mononoke and deep within is the mysterious Jomon Sugi. We start off on our trek very early the next morning, the tantalising aromas from our lunchtime bento wafting through the car. The sun has not yet risen when we reach our breakfast spot, the bus stop from where we will go to the Arakawa trailhead. It is a chilly morning and I am glad for the sustenance from my onigiri breakfast. The trail to the Jomon Sugi, is for the most part, a very long walk along an abandoned railway line that serviced small logging towns which are now in ruins. It is likely that there are trees that are at least as old in less accessible parts of this ancient forest. Some, ironically, have now become cutesy tourist attractions - the huge Wilson's stump has a heart shaped hole where couples take photos. The Jomon Sugi is a cryptomeria tree considered to be more than 7000 years old and is much revered - its age significantly surpasses the oldest recorded history of Japan from 3000 years ago. This tree is considered the closest the Japanese have to a living God because it has stood from before the time they know as creation.Its vantage location off Kyushu, where the myths of Shinto origin are based, adds to the mystique. So, it is a sacred place and like all places sacred, there is generally a small crowd that makes the trek to visit the mighty Sugi. It is a majestically gnarled, wide tree but the people and the protective platform around its trunk take away some of the raw magic initially. Then the people move away and its just us and the tree - for those few minutes, we feel the awe of standing in front of this being that has existed for millennia. If we stand there longer, wait for everyone to leave, we feel like the tree just might speak to us. We walk back up to finish lunch. The change in weather is swift and surreal - the wind speed increases, the sun goes behind the clouds and it starts to drizzle. Maybe the Jomon Sugi no longer wants human company or maybe it is Yakushima’s famously unpredictable weather. We shiver through our cold lunch though temperature doesn’t affect the taste of chicken karage. As we start the long walk back down, it starts to hail. The hail is beautiful against the moss-covered trees, and it is bitterly cold now. We persevere on and surprisingly reach the trailhead faster than was expected. This is still the beginning of spring, so dusk comes early. It isn’t a strenuous trek so we aren’t very tired but a delicious Japanese dinner and a futon in a room by the river is always a good idea. We are supposed to leave Yakushima the next day. In the morning at breakfast we are told that all ferries are cancelled because of “big waves”. This is alarming news when you are on a tiny island, surrounded by active volcanoes, in a country known for tsunamis. Finally we understand that the waves are slightly higher than usual but this will impact the hydrofoil schedule. It gives us another day on lovely Yakushima and an opportunity to explore the forest of Shiratani Unsuikyo which inspired the Mononoke Hime. A fitting end to a holiday that has been inspired by the Princess Mononoke film.