Shinmei-Shrine Osugi, which stood in Okute-Cho along the Nakasendo trail, suddenly has fallen. The fallen cedar had been the symbol and spiritual anchor of the townspeople. An open-bidding competition was carried out to preserve the irreplaceable, and we participated as a team.

 We defined the visualization of the natural cycle as the quintessence of this project, proposing to preserve the cedar in harmony with the metabolism of nature. Having revered it as the sacred tree, it was of great significance for the townspeople to adorn the cedar with Shimenawa(sacred straw festoon) at every New Year. Then we decided to “make the Osugi stand again”.

 Bedore its fall, we say its towering figure touches the sky. The sight the Osugi clasped even the shrine’s stone wall was so overwhelming that its presence overshadowed the shrine, standing quiet at its back.

 In the first place, the awe and reverence towards nature must have emanated from ingenuous hearts of mankind. This awe eventually evolved into the absolute trust in nature, and they realized that nature was the best teacher of living. Then this humble attitude towards the influence of nature spawned nature worship. Accordingly, it might have led to the festivals to express gratitude on their own.

 The awe of nature contrasts starkly with the view of modern people, merely regarding nature as resources to exploit it for a comfortable living. Confronting the Osugi reminded us that humans are part of nature and all living creatures are sustained by its working. This project was an excellent opportunity to take a deeper look at it once again.

The preservation project of Shinmei-Osugi(giant cedar) in Okute-Cho

 Shinmei-Shrine Osugi, which stood in Okute-Cho along the Nakasendo trail, suddenly has fallen. The fallen cedar had been the symbol and spiritual anchor of the townspeople. An open-bidding competition was carried out to preserve the irreplaceable, and we participated as a team.