Ginkgo Trees in Shimoda

Shimoda no Ichō: A 700-Year-Old Ginkgo Standing Guard in a Kumamoto Garden

In a quiet corner of southern Kumamoto City, where small shops and homes line a road that has changed little in centuries, an extraordinary tree rises above the rooftops. The Shimoda no Ichō, or "Ginkgo Tree of Shimoda," is one of Japan's most remarkable arboreal monuments — a giant believed to be around 700 years old, with a massive trunk that splits dramatically into two great limbs near its base. Designated a National Natural Monument in 1937, this venerable ginkgo offers visitors a rare opportunity to stand in the presence of a living witness to nearly the entirety of Japan's late medieval and modern history. In autumn, its canopy turns a brilliant gold that draws photographers, pilgrims, and the simply curious from across the country.

A Tree Older Than Most Castles

The Shimoda no Ichō stands in what was once the private garden of the Shimoda family, one of the most prominent old houses of the Kunoshō district in former Jōnan Town. Historical records preserved by the family — known as the Shimoda-ke Kyūki (Old Records of the Shimoda Family) — note that the tree was already a notable presence during the Tenbun era (1532–1555), meaning that even nearly five centuries ago it was considered old. Most local estimates place the tree's true age at between 600 and 700 years, which would mean it took root sometime in the Nanboku-chō or early Muromachi period, when warring courts and emerging samurai houses were reshaping Japan.

Through all those centuries the tree has stood in essentially the same spot, surviving typhoons, droughts, civil conflicts, and the dramatic changes of modern Japan. Today it belongs to the public, the Shimoda family having donated it to the municipality so that its protection and care could be carried forward by the community.

Why This Tree Became a National Natural Monument

On December 21, 1937, the Shimoda no Ichō was designated a National Natural Monument under Japan's prewar Historic Sites, Scenic Beauty, and Natural Monuments Preservation Law. The original designation notice praised it as "a notable example of a giant ginkgo tree, with a trunk circumference at chest height of about nine meters, dividing into two great branches." Several features set it apart from the many other large ginkgos found across Japan.

First is its sheer size. The trunk measures roughly nine meters in circumference at chest height when the two main limbs are measured together, and the tree rises to a height of about twenty-one meters. Second is the unusual structure: at about one and a half meters above the ground, the trunk splits cleanly into two enormous upright limbs that grow as if they were independent trees sharing a single foot. This double-trunk form, while not unique in nature, is rare at this scale and gives the tree a striking, almost candelabra-like silhouette. Third is the cultural context — the tree is one of very few national natural monuments in Japan whose official name incorporates the surname of an individual family, a sign of the deep, centuries-long bond between the Shimoda household and the ginkgo that grew in their garden.

Highlights and What to Look For

Visitors who come to the Shimoda no Ichō can experience the tree on a more intimate scale than is possible at most great trees in Japan. There is no temple gate to pass through, no formal entrance, no ticket booth. The ginkgo simply stands at the edge of a small garden along an old road, accessible to anyone who passes by.

At the base of the tree is a stone monument inscribed with a poem composed by a former member of the Shimoda family: "As generations pass, blessed and flourishing, the ginkgo branches will multiply by the thousand and ten thousand." The verse speaks of family continuity and gratitude, and visitors often pause here to read it before looking up into the canopy.

Look closely at the lower trunk and you will see the characteristic chichi, or "breast-shaped" aerial roots that mature ginkgos sometimes develop hanging from their branches. These growths have long been associated in Japanese folklore with maternal blessings, and although the Shimoda tree is less famous for them than some other Kyushu ginkgos, the venerable bark and gnarled lower limbs reward patient observation.

The single best time to visit is mid to late November, when the leaves transform into a brilliant gold. On a clear day the contrast between the yellow canopy and the blue Kyushu sky is spectacular, and after the leaves fall the ground beneath the tree becomes a golden carpet that lingers for days. Spring and summer visitors will find a different but equally lovely scene: deep green foliage providing welcome shade in a quiet residential lane.

Visiting Practicalities

The Shimoda no Ichō is freely accessible at all hours of the day and year, with no admission fee. It stands in a small open garden directly along an old road in the Kunoshō neighborhood of Minami Ward, Kumamoto City, just a few steps from a popular local fried chicken shop. There are no on-site restrooms or visitor facilities, so plan to combine your visit with a stop at one of the nearby cultural sites.

Because the tree stands in a residential and small-business neighborhood, please be considerate of local residents: keep voices low, avoid blocking the road, and do not climb on the tree, break branches, or remove leaves. Photography from the public street is welcome.

What Else to See Nearby

The area around the Shimoda no Ichō is unusually rich in cultural heritage, and a day trip can easily combine the tree with several other notable sites. The Tsukahara Kofun Group, a National Historic Site, is a major ancient burial mound complex with an attached park and the Kumamoto City Tsukahara History and Folklore Museum, the same institution that manages inquiries about the ginkgo tree.

The Akadaka-Kurohashi and Goryō shell middens, both National Historic Sites, document prehistoric coastal life in this region thousands of years before the ginkgo was planted. Roku-den Shrine, with its main hall registered as an Important Cultural Property, lies a short drive away, as does the Kihara Fudōson temple. For travelers especially interested in great trees, Tekisui no Ichō — another nationally designated giant ginkgo in the wider Kumamoto area — makes a natural follow-up visit.