Visiting Hiroshima means time for solitude, respect, and solemn memory of the events that occurred there on August 6th, 1945. As we approach the 75th anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima, there's one thing many don't visit this site for: The trees.
When Hiroshima became one of the intended targets at the end of World War II, the result was a massive detonation that spanned a width of 1,200 feet. The results were utterly devastating, with 150,000 lives lost in addition to the fallout area being completely decimated from the impact. Both human life and plant life were affected and it would seem that nothing made it out alive, except for the Ginkgo trees. Despite the radiation and sheer energy output of the events that unraveled that day, these trees withstood it all, and continue to remain standing to this day.
Looking back on the history of Ginkgo trees, this tragedy is not the only thing their internal rings would show in regards to their long lives. Additionally, it would be discovered that the Ginkgo trees near Hiroshima, called hibakujumoku, "survivor tree", or "A-bombed trees" in English. This name is a tribute to the fact that they've exceeded expectations in terms of normal trees and serves as a testament of strength to the Ginkgo species that holds such a special place in Japan today.
The Great Kanto Earthquake That Shook The Ground, But Not The Trees
The incredible thing about the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923 was that despite its tremendous magnitude of 7.9, the Ginkgo trees were resilient. This earthquake wrought havoc on Tokyo as locals watched the city erupt into flames, yet the trees still stood. While some of them did fall to the burning blaze, roughly 10,000 survived the natural disaster. As other trees slowly succumbed to the damage left in the wake of such destruction, the Ginkgo trees of Tokyo slowly began to regrow and, eventually, to flourish.
This tremendous persistence against fire was something that Japan noticed and observed as time went on, slowly realizing that these trees were unlike any other in the country, and perhaps unlike any other in the world. In fact, they could be the key to restarted life in places where so little has grown. With this in the back of everyone's mind, 16,000 more Ginkgo trees were planting, successfully starting a new range of plant life to replace that which had died out.
The Wrath Of Hiroshima
Little more than 20 years later, the Ginkgo trees would be tested again but this time, by a man-made force. When Hiroshima was destroyed, the 16,000 Ginkgo trees that had been planted in 1923 were thriving. They had sustained the weight of life for 27 years but now had to overcome a new threat: Radiation.
The impact from the atomic bomb that scorched the city was responsible for basically disintegrating the leaves on the trees upon impact, which also left the bark of the tree burned and scarred. When it was thought that even the trees couldn't survive such a tragedy, once again they rebounded, with cells that were somehow still living within the tree. Although the outside of the trees was nearly unrecognizable, the living cells on the inside continued to grow and heal.
According to Inverse, the director of Yale's School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, Sir Peter Crane, PhD., these trees are basically "cylinders of living cells." It's due to this that the exterior of the trees was able to be so badly damaged, while the hard exterior of dead cells protected the living. Not only was the exterior bark strong enough to serve as a shield, but the interior phloem, which is responsible for carrying sugars, and the xylem, responsible for producing the tree's wood, surrounded the cambium - "the cylinder of living cells."
The tree's survival and durability were so strong after the impact that each tree continued to absorb nutrients, thus healing began almost immediately. With the tree itself being so durable, it makes sense that the conditions in which one grows would need to be equally as hearty - thus the Ginkgo tree can thrive in a variety of soil conditions, including post-radiated land.
The Trees That Wouldn't Give Up
What's truly incredible about these trees, all of which are within roughly a 2,200 radius of Hiroshima, is that they continued to grow through a variety of conditions after the war had ended. Black rain continued to fall on the city in the days following August 6th, 1945, and the trees stood through the ash that came down with it, without so much as wilting. Now, the trees are home to plaques that display the names of those who lost their lives during the tragic events of that day. Standing as nature's most inspiration memorials, each tree serves as a reminder to Japan - and the world - about perseverance and survival, thus dubbed "The Ginkgo Story."