The Pine of Hope

Stars of the Winter Hexagon are photographed above a lonely standing pine in Rikuzentakata, Iwate prefecture of Japan. The strong March 2011 Tohoku earthquake and its following tsunami made extensive damage to this town. From over 70,000 planted pines only this was left standing alive after the tsunami. The iconic tree is now known as the “miracle solitary pine tree”. As added by the photographer “This tree encouraged the local people to return to life. I stood on this heavily damaged town by the tsunami and thought the starry sky is equal to anyone.”