Kumamoto is often described as “Mori no Miyako (森の都), or Capital of Forest”. When you see trees at a park or a school, have you thought about people who actually planted them?
In the late 19th century, there was a person who started a project to plant trees all around Kumamoto aiming at getting back nature. His name is Yoshio Kawakita (河喜多義男) who was born in Kikuyo Town.
Back then, many parts of Kumamoto were burned down after Seinan civil war in 1877. It is said that when Lafcadio Hearn, who is famous for his work “KWAIDAN (怪談)”, came to Kumamoto in 1891, he said Kumamoto didn’t have much trees and it was like a desert.
Kawakita donated his fortune and started to plant trees. He started this work not just because he wanted to bring nature back but also he wanted to make resources in Kumamoto.
Check the link below and get to know more about his stories.
- Chieko