Nagatsuka lotus pine (prefectural natural monument)

Black pines, which have long been popular as trees planted along roads, shrines, and temples, are familiar to us, and many famous pines remain in various places. The black pine at Rengoji Temple in Nagatsuka, Asaminami Ward, is one of them. It is said that this tree is so beautiful that even the famous pine tree at Karasaki, one of the Eight Views of Omi (Shiga Prefecture), would wash its feet (or go barefoot) and run away from it, so it was called the "barefoot Karasaki pine." The branches that grow horizontally in all four directions from the sturdy trunk almost cover the entire temple grounds, making for a truly magnificent sight. Due to its shape that seems to crawl along the ground, it was also called the "Garyu pine" or "lotus pine." It is said that the predecessor of Rengoji Temple was Shoinbo, which was built in Shimoyasu during the Kamakura period. One theory is that it was moved to its current location in 1630, and the black pine was planted as a memorial to that event. It has been here for 350 years since then, and in the "Wheat-threshing Song" handed down in Nagatsuka, there is a song that sings, "Look at the pine trees, the pine trees of Renko-ji Temple, fearing the heavens, even if you leave your roots behind, the pine trees of Renko-ji Temple are the lotus pine trees of paradise," and the tree has continued to be loved by locals. However, in recent years, the branches and leaves have weakened due to the effects of pine bark beetles, and measures to maintain the tree's vigor have changed the shape of the tree. Location: 2-1-44 Nagatsuka, Asaminami-ku, Hiroshima City Date of designation within the grounds of Renko-ji Temple: April 23, 1954 Summary: Japanese black pine Tree height 9m Trunk circumference at eye level 3.2m Branch spread 26m east-west, 25m north-south