Yatate Cedar Tree

Located just off a winding mountain road along part of the historic Koshu Kaido route, the Yatate Cedar is an impressive sight: the tree is 28 meters tall and 15 meters wide. The cedar is estimated to be more than 1,000 years old. Rather unusually, the tree is hollow inside. The bark has been torn away at its base, revealing a hollow large enough for at least two adults to climb inside. (Note that in the interest of preservation, climbing into the tree is not allowed.)

Thanks to its illustrious history and impressive appearance, the Yatate Cedar was depicted in a number of paintings and ukiyo-e woodblock prints by notable artists such as Katsushika Hokusai and Utagawa Hiroshige II. In 2008, it even inspired an eponymous song by the actor and singer Ryotaro Sugi, whose surname means “cedar.” The tree is designated a Natural Cultural Monument of Yamanashi Prefecture.