Cedar Avenue of Nikko
Encyclopedia
Cryptomeria
Cryptomeria is a monotypic genus of conifer in the cypress family Cupressaceae formerly belonging to the family Taxodiaceae; it includes only one species, Cryptomeria japonica . It is endemic to Japan, where it is known as Sugi...
trees, known as Sugi, the national tree of Japan. Consisting of three parts converging on the city of Imaichi, the Cedar Avenue of Nikkō is 35.41 kilometers long and is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest tree-lined avenue in the world. The Cedar Avenue of Nikkō is the only cultural property designated by the Japanese Government as both a Special Historic Site and a Special Natural Monument.
The cedar trees were planted approximately 400 years ago by Matsudaira Masatsuna, a feudal lord serving Tokugawa Ieyasu
Tokugawa Ieyasu
was the founder and first shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan , which ruled from the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600 until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. Ieyasu seized power in 1600, received appointment as shogun in 1603, abdicated from office in 1605, but...
, who donated them to the Nikkō Tōshō-gū
Nikko Tosho-gu
is a Shinto shrine located in Nikkō, Tochigi Prefecture, Japan. It is part of the "Shrines and Temples of Nikkō", a UNESCO World Heritage Site.Tōshō-gū is dedicated to Tokugawa Ieyasu, the founder of the Tokugawa shogunate. Initially built in 1617, during the Edo period, while Ieyasu's son Hidetada...
. This monumental project was begun around 1625 and required about 20 years to be completed. It is estimated that some 200,000 cedars were planted at this time.