Image by Sage Ross, via WikiÂmeÂdia ComÂmons
If four years seems like a long time, let me help put things in perÂspecÂtive.
The beauÂtiÂful bonÂsai tree picÂtured above–let’s call it the YamaÂki Pine Bonsai–began its jourÂney through the world back in 1625. That’s when the YamaÂki famÂiÂly first began to train the tree, workÂing patientÂly, genÂerÂaÂtion after genÂerÂaÂtion, to prune the tree into the majesÂtic litÂtle thing it is today.
No doubt, over the cenÂturies, the ancient bonÂsai witÂnessed many good and bad days in Japan–some highs and some lows. But nothÂing as low as what hapÂpened on August 6, 1945, when the UnitÂed States dropped an atomÂic bomb on HiroshiÂma, devÂasÂtatÂing the city and leavÂing 140,000 civilÂians dead. The bomb explodÂed less than two miles from the YamakÂi’s home. But defyÂing the odds, the YamaÂki Pine surÂvived the blast. (It was proÂtectÂed by a wall surÂroundÂing the YamakÂi’s bonÂsai nursÂery.) The famÂiÂly surÂvived the blast too, sufÂferÂing only minor cuts from flyÂing glass.
Three decades latÂer, in a rather remarkÂable act of forÂgiveÂness, the YamaÂki famÂiÂly giftÂed the pine (along with 52 othÂer cherÂished trees) to the UnitÂed States, durÂing the bicenÂtenÂniÂal celÂeÂbraÂtion of 1976. NevÂer did they say anyÂthing, howÂevÂer, about the trauÂmas the tree surÂvived. Only in 2001, when a younger genÂerÂaÂtion of Yamakis visÂitÂed WashÂingÂton, did the careÂtakÂers at UnitÂed States NationÂal ArboreÂtum learn the full stoÂry about the tree’s resilience. The tree surÂvived the worst mankind could throw at it. And kept its beauÂty intact. SureÂly you can do the same when life sends lessÂer chalÂlenges your way.
You can get a closÂer look at the YamaÂki pine in the video below.
RelatÂed ConÂtent:
BuildÂing Your Resilience: FindÂing MeanÂing in Adversity–Take a Free & TimeÂly Course Online
HiroshiÂma After the AtomÂic Bomb in 360 Degrees
HauntÂing UneditÂed Footage of the BombÂing of NagasaÂki (1945)
HĹŤshi: A Short Film on the 1300-Year-Old Hotel Run by the Same FamÂiÂly for 46 GenÂerÂaÂtions
What an amazÂing stoÂry. BeauÂtiÂful. Like the tree.
No, it is not like it, moron, it IS the tree !
MagÂnifÂiÂcent!!!! A joy to expeÂriÂence!
I like the tree, I like your stoÂry except, any time you tell only part of a comÂplete stoÂry, you creÂate disÂreÂspect for all involved. Many peoÂple did and did not surÂvive the bomb dropped near the tree and its careÂtakÂer’s resÂiÂdence. War is nevÂer wonÂderÂful. Your stoÂry is negÂaÂtiveÂly slantÂed toward disÂdain for those who dropped the bomb. Where your stoÂry fails is its omisÂsion of how many more milÂlions were saved by using the atomÂic bomb rather than bombÂing all of Japan. In fact, milÂlions of lives were spared by this one act. You conÂveÂnientÂly forÂgot Japan’s bombÂing of Pearl HarÂbor and those AmerÂiÂcans who lost their lives at sea durÂing WWII. This stoÂry of yours in it’s cumuÂlaÂtive form is poor writÂing and worse readÂing. You have used the longeviÂty of this tree to proÂmote your own ideÂalÂism and have forÂgotÂten kindÂness and respect for all those involved.
Agree with your comÂment. I have seen more than one artiÂcle, often writÂten by someÂone from the US, who slants the stoÂry at how horÂriÂble the two bombs were.
Most do not realÂize the hell the fire bombÂing of Tokyo was. This would have conÂtinÂued city by city with many more deaths at the end of the day. If we did an invaÂsion, a lot on both sides would sufÂfer.
The JapanÂese milÂiÂtary did not have surÂrenÂder as a option.