"Miracle" pine preserved - A symbol

Tsunami 'miracle' tree gets root and branch preservation

http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311disaster/recovery/AJ201302130007

By KAZUMASA SUGIMURA/ Staff Writer

RIKUZENTAKATA, Iwate Prefecture--A lone pine tree that survived the 2011 tsunami when this city was all but swept away is on its way to becoming a permanent memorial after completion of expensive preservation work.

The sole conifer left standing at the renowned Takata Matsubara pine forest beauty spot came to be seen locally as a symbol of hope and fortitude.

It died because the ground was soaked with seawater, but local officials solicited donations to cover the estimated 150 million yen ($1.6 million) needed to fell the tree, embalm it, and re-erect it.

But donations have not reached even half the target figure, so the local government is temporarily using contributions for reconstruction to cover the shortfall.

In September, the tree was cut down, divided into sections and dispatched to specialists elsewhere in Japan for preservation. In Aichi Prefecture, for example, experts hollowed out the trunk to inject synthetic resin into its central cavity.

On Feb. 12, an eight-meter section of lower trunk arrived back in Rikuzentakata duly fortified. Workers used a crane to hoist it into a prepared concrete base.

"I understand that the tree needs to be heavily preserved so that it will withstand the wind and rain," said Yoshihisa Suzuki, 68, the chairman of the Association for the Preservation of Takata Matsubara. "But seeing it artificially repaired like this gives me mixed feelings."

The project is scheduled to be completed in early March.

Restoration of 'miracle pine' reaches final stage

http://mainichi.jp/english/english/newsselect/news/20130212p2g00m0dm041000c.html

MORIOKA, Japan (Kyodo) -- Restoration of a "miracle pine" that survived the massive March 2011 tsunami in Rikuzentakata, northeastern Japan, reached the final stage Tuesday, with workers planting its eight-meter roots into the ground.

The trunk and branches will be assembled from later this month to complete the restoration of the 27-meter pine at its original site by March 11, the second anniversary of the disaster, according to the municipal government.

The tree in Iwate Prefecture was dissected last September into several parts for anti-decay treatment.

The plant was the only one of about 70,000 pines on a stretch of coast to survive the disaster, but its roots were found to be dying from exposure to seawater, prompting efforts to preserve the tree, which has become a symbol of the city's reconstruction.