This is an old cedar tree about 800 years old that stands at the east foot of Mt. Daimanji, Oki Islands, Japan. This tree has a height of 30 m, a circumference of 16 m at the roots and branches out in 15 places from the middle of the trunk. You will find 24 giant stalactite-shaped breast roots about 10 m above ground. The longest of these has reached 2.6 m in length.
The local people call this the “Chichi-sugi Tree (Breast Tree)” and hold a ceremony here as a sacred tree every year on April 23. The area around here is cool even in summer and there is a very mysterious atmosphere after the rain.
Chichi Sugi, which translates as Boob Cedar is an 800 year old tree on the slopes of Mount Daimanji on Dogo, the biggest of the Oki Islands.
It is an Urasugi, a species that grows on the Japan Sea coast where heavy snowfall causes the trees to produce stronger lateral branches. The rounded protuberances growing down from the branches… which is the origin of its nickname “boob”, are believed to help absorb moisture from the air.
Cold air rising from the gaps between the big rocks that form the slope meet warm air from the sea and mean that the area is often misty.
It is one of several sacred trees on the island that are well worth seeking out
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