Tree

‘Trees are not just living things, but feeling beings, like us. Better keep a watchful eye over them…’

Cherry blossom, hinoki, ezo spruce. Persimmon, maple, cypress. The trees of Japan cast a spell on those who visit its unique landscape. But as a child, Aya Koda realized they were more than mere objects of beauty. Gifted a sapling by her father, she learned that we depend on trees as much as they do on us. They mark time passing, clear the air and regenerate our earth – while we must care for their future.

As Aya Koda travels around Japan, witnessing landslides, lumber and forests of falling ash, encountering fresh saplings and ancient, ungovernable roots, she discovers how each tree contains its own unique story. In this timeless modern classic, translated into English for the first time, Koda’s voice echoes down the generations, reminding us that trees hold a mirror to who we are, and what we choose to leave behind.