Disaster Recovery by "Embalming" the "Miracle Lone Pine" in Rikuzen Takata City, Iwate

The mayor of the city believes the tree is the symbol of hope for the residents for the future, and it has to be standing, dead or alive. 150 million yen or not.

Some residents wholeheartedly agree with the mayor, while others have doubts, particularly about the money supposedly needed to preserve the tree in the standing position. I am rather surprised that the tree gets "embalmed", instead of burned in a religious ceremony and sent to the "heaven" (wherever the pine tree heaven may be) - a traditional Japanese way.

NHK Morioka (Iwate) had the article for about several hours yesterday, now gone. This is part of the article that I copied while it was still at the local NHK website (7/21/2012):

津波に耐えて残った陸前高田市の「奇跡の一本松」の保存方法が決まりました。

The method of preservation has been decided for the "Miracle Lone Pine" in Rikuzen Takata City that survived the tsunami of March 11, 2011.

根元から切り倒して幹を５つに分割し、防腐処理をした上で中に金属の棒を通してもとの場所に立てて保存するというものです。
これは２０日、陸前高田市の戸羽太市長が記者会見して明らかにしました。

The tree will be cut down at the base, and the trunk will be cut into 5 parts. After they are treated with preservatives they will be pierced through with a metal rod. The tree thus preserved will stand in the original location. Rikuzen Takata Mayor Futoshi Toba disclosed the plan in the press conference on July 20.

それによりますと、一本松はまず根元から切り倒して幹を５つに分割し、芯をくりぬいて防腐処理を施します。そして、金属製の棒を幹の中に通し、根元をボルトで固定することで生えていたときと同じように立てて保存するということです。

According to the plan, the tree will be cut down at the base, and the trunk will be cut into 5 parts. After they are treated with preservatives they will be pierced through with a metal rod, and the base will be secured with bolts so that the tree can stand just like when the tree was alive.

切り倒す時期は８月下旬を予定していて、加工する施設のある名古屋市や京都市にいったん運び、芯のくり抜きや防腐処理をした上で、来年２月末までにもとあった場所に立てたいとしています。

The tree is scheduled to be cut down in the second half of August. [After being cut] the tree will be brought to Nagoya City and Kyoto City where the facilities to treat the wood are located. The core will be removed and the tree will be treated with preservatives. It is hoped that the tree will be standing by the end of February next year.

また、陸前高田市は、保存にかかる１億５０００万円程度をまかなうための募金を呼びかけていますが、おとといまでに集まったのは３５０万円にとどまっているということで引き続き、協力を呼びかけていくことにしています。

Rikuzen Takata City is asking for donations to cover the cost of preservation, about 150 million yen [US$1.9 million], but as of two days ago the amount collected was 3.5 million yen. The city will keep calling for support.

戸羽市長は、「津波に耐えて立っている姿が市民に希望を与えているので立ったまま姿で保存したいと考えこの方法を選んだ。一本松は我々にとっても心の支えでありこれからのまちづくりの希望なので、全国の皆様にご協力を頂きたい」と話しています。

Mayor Toba says, "Because the tree, having survived the tsunami and standing, is giving hope to the residents, we have chosen this preservation method. The Lone Pine is our emotional support and our hope for future rebuilding of the city. We would like people all over the country to help us preserve the tree."

Mayor Toba, I was told by one of my twitter followers, lost his wife to the tsunami.

I would still say "Let it go, let the tree die a peaceful death" and find hope elsewhere.

On the other hand, it may be a clear sign that the "recovery", much publicized by the national government, doesn't exist, if the residents of one of the areas hardest-hit by the March 11 tsunami have to rely on a dead tree for hope and support.

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