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Shrine Forests, Bonsai and Public Parks in Tokyo: Old Trees as Symbols of Continuity

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 March 2025

Glenn Moore  and
Cassandra Atherton
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Abstract

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Ninety percent of Japanese people live in cities, seemingly disconnected from the agrarian world their ancestors inhabited in premodern Japan. Focussing on Tokyo, where the apparent disconnect with the past is most stark, this article looks at old trees in public parks, shrine forests, and old bonsai, and argues that that beneath the city's modern veneer, these trees allow residents to feel close to nature, and stay connected with the history, myths and traditions the trees evoke.

Keywords

JapanPublic ParksShrine ForestsBonsaiShinrin-yoku
Type
Research Article
Information
Asia-Pacific Journal , Volume 19 , Issue 6 , March 2021 , e3
Copyright
Copyright © The Authors 2021

References

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