The Meaning and Creeping Loss of Holy Trees of District Shrines in the Tokyo Region

Abstract

In Japan, due to the nature-worship of the Shinto religion, single holy trees are still preserved at many shrine sites. Such trees often have an age of several hundreds of years. However, there seems to be a lack of knowledge and consciousness about their meaning and ecological demands. In order to contribute to their future preservation, this paper examines the actual and historical condition of holy trees at district shrines, and then discusses their loss and cultural significance. Although they take a high position within the shrine precinct, holy trees are gradually lost due to environmental changes and a lack of ecological knowledge.