Nature Sites / Okinoshima Town
Chichi-sugi Japanese Cedar has 24 dangling roots growing downward from its branches. The name "chichi," meaning breasts, comes from its strange shape and these drooping roots. One of the four Giant Japanese Cedar Trees of Dōgo Island, Chichi-sugi is estimated to be around 800 years old, with a trunk circumference of 16 m, a height of 31 m, and its impressive shape. The ground around Chichi-sugi is formed by basalt rocks that fell down from the peak of Mt. Daimanji. Cold air flows through the gaps between these rocks, called wind holes, and collides with the surrounding warm air, creating a humid environment. Because of this, plants usually found near water or marshes grow here, including the katsura tree (Cercidiphyllum japonicum) and the Japanese wingnut (Pterocarya rhoifolia).
