The majority of Shinto shrines have in their premises a sacred tree. They are often big old trees, but among them, one of the most spectacular is the great
sugi (Cryptomeria japonica, known also as Japanese Cedar) from the Kasuga Taisha Shrine in Nara. The great
sugi was painted on one of the
Kasuga Gongen Genki scrolls, made in 1309, and it is estimated that this amazing tree is... over 1000 years old!
As you can see from the photo, the sacred tree is huge, 23 meters tall, with a circumference of 7.94 meters... a really impressive evergreen tree...
Kasuga Taisha Shrine, Nara EXIF info:
Nikon D300
Lens: 8-16mm F/4.5-5.6G
Focal Length: 8mm
Aperture: F/7.1
Shutter Speed: 1/1200s
ISO Sensitivity: ISO 400