Located at the eastern base of Mt. Daimanji in the Okinawa Islands, Japan is an ancient cedar tree estimated to be about 800 years old. This majestic tree stands tall at 30 meters with a circumference of 16 meters at the roots. Its branches spread out in 15 different places from the middle of its trunk. As you explore this beautiful tree, you will discover 24 giant stalactite-shaped breast roots hanging about 10 meters above the ground, the longest of which reaches a length of 2.6 meters.
The local community refers to this ancient tree as the “Chichi-sugi Tree” or the Breast Tree, and they conduct an annual sacred ceremony on April 23rd at its site. The surroundings of the area remain cool even in summer, and there is an inexplicable mystical atmosphere after rainfall.
The Chichi Sugi, which means Boob Cedar in English, is a magnificent 800-year-old tree situated on the slopes of Mount Daimanji on Dogo Island, the largest of the Oki Islands.
The Urasugi is a species that grows along the coast of Japan, where heavy snowfall causes the trees to develop stronger lateral branches. The rounded protrusions growing downward from these branches, which are the origin of its nickname “boob,” are thought to aid in the absorption of moisture from the air.
As the chilly breeze rises up between the gaps of the large rocks that make up the slope, it collides with the warm air from the nearby sea, resulting in a misty atmosphere in the area.
One of the many sacred trees on the island is definitely worth searching for.
