Living History
Trip Start
Jul 04, 2006
1
86
104
Trip End
Ongoing
Hamamatsu, Chubu, Japan
Thursday, May 20, 2010
"The tree of Hamamatsu Citizens," read a sign, and then I jotted down the explanation:
"Most of Hamamatsu city was burned to ashes by "The Great Hamamatsu Air Raid.' It was also thought that a line of Platanus trees had died."
The sign referred to this date as June 18, 1945.
"Miraculously enough, two years later, in the spring of '47, 3 of the Platanus trees were revived despite the scorches of their trunks, thanks to the careful attention of the people."
The trees serve as a living symbol, an inspiration, to the rebuilding of the city.
"In June '64, 10 trees which survived the fires of the war, together with the citizens of Hamamatsu, were commemorated by being renamed 'The Tree of the Hamamatsu citizens.' "
A powerful symbol, indeed.
