“Picture story show” conveys the spirit of life
Aug. 8, 2012
In the Ushita district of Higashi Ward, Hiroshima, a group of residents is seeking to add to the life of their community by making use of Ushita’s history and culture. The leader of the group is Michinori Fujihara and they have created a “picture story show” about a large ginkgo tree which stands at Anrakuji Temple.
Legend has it that a famous Buddhist monk named Shinran planted a gingko tree on the grounds of a temple in Tokyo, then an Edo-era monk from Anrakuji Temple brought a cutting from the tree to his temple in Hiroshima. The cutting grew into a large tree, and when the city was attacked with the atomic bomb, the tree spread its branches over the temple to protect it. Although the blast hollowed out the trunk, birds came to the tree and began living inside it. The peaceful scene stirred a feeling of peace in people.
Satoru Nishizaka, 66, the proprietor of a local barber shop, heard this story from an elderly man in the community and wrote it down. Michio Hara, a poet and painter, then made the pictures to accompany the story. In the story the gingko tree is personified and expresses a variety of emotions. “I hope people will feel the value of life from a big gingko tree that survived the atomic bombing,” said Mr. Nishizaka.
Students regularly visit the temple for their peace education classes. Koji Toyooka, 82, the former head priest of the temple, still watches over and takes care of the gingko tree. (Ren Nonaka, 17, and Kantaro Matsuo, 13)
(Originally published on April 10, 2012)
Legend has it that a famous Buddhist monk named Shinran planted a gingko tree on the grounds of a temple in Tokyo, then an Edo-era monk from Anrakuji Temple brought a cutting from the tree to his temple in Hiroshima. The cutting grew into a large tree, and when the city was attacked with the atomic bomb, the tree spread its branches over the temple to protect it. Although the blast hollowed out the trunk, birds came to the tree and began living inside it. The peaceful scene stirred a feeling of peace in people.
Satoru Nishizaka, 66, the proprietor of a local barber shop, heard this story from an elderly man in the community and wrote it down. Michio Hara, a poet and painter, then made the pictures to accompany the story. In the story the gingko tree is personified and expresses a variety of emotions. “I hope people will feel the value of life from a big gingko tree that survived the atomic bombing,” said Mr. Nishizaka.
Students regularly visit the temple for their peace education classes. Koji Toyooka, 82, the former head priest of the temple, still watches over and takes care of the gingko tree. (Ren Nonaka, 17, and Kantaro Matsuo, 13)
(Originally published on April 10, 2012)
