Q: Are there different kinds of trees in Japan? (Robert)
A: Here is a kind of evergreen tree that I have seen all around Yamaguchi prefecture. Although we have similar species in the U.S., what caught my eye about the ones in this picture is the lovely rounded shapes of the greenery. At first I thought that they just grew this way, and that this was a species of tree that I'd never seen before. Because I saw many of these trees that were as tall as a 2-story house, I did not think it possible that the trees had been trimmed into these shapes. Later, though, I learned that they ARE trimmed this way, and people who have them in their yards climb up on tall ladders to do the trimming. Although I would be afraid to have to do this, I think the trees are SO beautiful! I believe they are cedar trees, but I am not certain.
Japan also has hundreds of varities of flowering cherry trees (called sakura in Japan). Some of these species have been imported to the U.S. and planted in some gardens, but in Japan they are all over the country. Cherry blossoms are the national flower of Japan, and the favorite flower of the Japanese people. The time when they bloom in the spring is called hanami, and people celebrate with Cherry Blossom picnics and festivals. They have been doing this for hundreds of years.
I've also seen some trees in Japan that we also have in Memphis, such as tulip poplars, the state tree of Tennessee.
