Category:

Municipally Designated Natural Monument

Title:

Uetayahon no kusunoki

The Camphor Tree of Uetayahon

植田谷本のクスノキ

No. of features:

One tree

Designated:

August 11, 1971

Location:

Uetayahon, Nishi Ward

ＣOwner:

Under private ownership

Description:

Camphor trees bloom with tiny flowers in May and bear fruits in October. The entire fruits are highly fragrant and have a high oil content.  The wood is often used in the manufacture of wooden products due to its strength and resistance to pests. Camphor trees are often used in construction, furniture, and carvings, and have found expanded use in medicine via the extraction of the camphor terpenoid (shono) that gives the tree its distinct aroma.

At the time of this tree’s designation, it measured 16 meters tall, with a trunk circumference of 2.85 meters and a base circumference of 8.4 meters. The spread of the branches measure 17 meters East-West and 14 meters North-South.

Associated Texts:

Cultural Properties in Omiya., Omiya Municipal Board of Education, 1971.

Cultural Properties in Omiya 3., Omiya Municipal Board of Education, 1987.

※Cavities and cracks were discovered in the tree’s main trunk in 2020. Large branches were pruned in order to reduce the load on the trunk and help prevent it from breaking. The easternmost branches and leaves were left to prevent a sudden decline in the tree’s strength and to protect the tree from trunk burn, a condition where the bark is damaged from a sudden influx of direct sunlight after pruning. While the tree currently looks a bit warped, new growth from the pruning sites promises a gradual return to its former glory.

When visiting, please be mindful of your actions and avoid disturbing the owners of the cultural property, local residents, and other visitors.

Inquiries (Japanese only)

Cultural Heritage Preservation Division, Department of Lifelong Learning, Board of Education Secretariat　

TEL: 048-829-1723 FAX: 048-829-1989

https://www.city.saitama.jp/004/005/006/001/005/002/003/p000579.html