アコウの木

五島の大浜地区・あこうの木 (english below)

推定樹齢200年のあこうの木を買いました。五島市在住の方でも知らない方は多いと思いますが、文化財指定になるような雄大なあこうの木が僕の家から徒歩2分、英会話教室に向かう途中の道にあります。もちろんカリフォルニアにも存在しない、僕にとって五島の、そして大浜地区の神秘的なパワースポットです。

昨年末のある日、いつも通りランチ休憩で英会話教室から自宅へ帰る際あこうの木を通りかかった時です。何やら工事している音がしました。なんと雄大なあこうの大きな枝の木1本ずつ機械で取り壊していました。突然の出来事に僕はショックを受けてしまいました。この解体業者の方に話を伺うと持主さんの依頼を受け、あこうの木を根から切り更地にする予定だと。

４年間、毎週当たり前のようにあこうの木の下をくぐって仕事にいく僕にとって、それは信じられない出来事でした。僕は居ても立っても居られず、すぐにあこうの木の隣に住むおばあさんに声をかけました。そのおばあさんは６０年前、自分が子供の頃この木を登ったり遊んだりした思い出の木で、今になってはこの木が防風の役割になり台風から自分の家を守ってくれていると話してくれました。そのおばあさんもあこうの木を残したいと思っていました。

おばあさんは持主さんの連絡先を知っていたため、なんとか持主さんと連絡が取れました。持主さんは現在愛知県に移住しており、持主さんからは「10年以上五島を離れており、今後も五島に戻る予定はない。土地もこのあこうの木も管理できない。すでに解体業者と契約をしており契約解除はできない。時すでに遅しです」と言われました。

それでもあきらめきれず、介入している愛知県の不動産屋さんの連絡先を聞き連絡ましたが「更地のままで買いたかったらまたご連絡ください。」との返答でした。

その夜、僕はよく寝れませんでした。翌日、それでもあきらめきれず解体業者の社長さんと直接話がしたいと思い、あこうの木の解体現場に行き解体業者の方から社長さんに連絡を取ってもらい会うことになりました。この社長さんはとても優しくて、あこうの木の価値を理解している人でした。「私もこの木はすごい、切るのはもったいないと思って「本当に切るんですか⁈」と話しました。でも「木を管理できず、周りに迷惑をかける。切ってください」と。木も含めて家を解体すると契約をしていますが、私の方では今解体している分だけいただければ大丈夫です。違約金を持主さんは気にしてますが、私は全く違約金を取るつもりはない」と話してくれました。さすが五島の人。昨日とは別の意味で２日連続僕はショックを受けました。もちろん素敵なショックです。

それからもう一度不動産さんと連絡を取り、何度かやり取りをした後、木を残した状態で僕と新しい契約を結びました。手続きに時間を要しましたが先週木曜日、このあこうと木と木を含めた土地220坪ある古民家を買うことができました。

あの日、あこうの木の道を通らなかったらこの木はもうありませんでした。そう思うと自分はこの木と縁があると感じています。2021年4月8日から僕はあこうの木の持ち主になりました。責任を持ってこの木を守って行きたいと思います。

My Ako Tree 

I bought this 200 year old Ako tree in Goto, Japan.I think most people in Goto don’t know about it, but there is a huge Ako tree (ficus superba tree?) in my neighborhood. Similar trees in Goto have been designated as special “cultural heritage sites” and preserved as sightseeing spots. This one is just a 2-minute walk from home and on the route I take when walking to my school. For me, it’s a rather mysterious power spot in my neighborhood, Ohama.

One day at the end of last year, as usual, when I was walking home for lunch, I passed under this huge tree. But, there was the sound of construction work, the workers were using a hydraulic claw-excavator-type machine to rip branches from the tree. WHat!? Needless to say, I was shocked by the change from serenity to destruction. 

I quickly talked to the workers and found out that they were hired to demolish the house, sheds, and Ako tree on this property. They said that they were planning to remove the entire tree and turn this land into an empty vacant lot at the request of the owner.  WHY!? After 4 years of walking under this magnificent tree with it’s hanging “aerial” roots, it was impossible to believe that someone was going to chop it down.

I immediately talked to a neighbor who lived nearby. She also didn’t want the tree to be removed, over 60 years ago she played in this tree as a child and now the huge tree protected her nearby house from strong winds during the typhoon season. I asked her to contact the owner and see what could be done about saving this tree. 

However, the owner has been living in Aichi prefecture for the last 10 years and has no plans to return to Goto. He can no longer take care of the tree or the house and property. Moreover, he already signed a contract with this demolition company. Even though we offered to take care of the tree on his behalf, he said “it was too late.” 

But even so, I asked for the contact information of the real estate agent in Aichi prefecture who was in charge of this soon-to-be “empty lot.”  He has never been to Goto, never seen this tree, so he was probably confused why a foreigner was calling about it. Likewise, he let me know that it was “too late to do anything about the tree” and “If you want to buy the vacant lot, please contact us again in a few months.”

I couldn’t sleep well that night. The next day, I still couldn’t accept that this tree was going to be chopped down. I wanted to talk directly with the president of this demolition company. The workers on site had agreed to stop demolishing the tree and focus on the olds sheds for the next few days. I asked one of the workers if they could arrange for me to meet with the president of their company.

The president agreed to meet and he ended up being an incredibly kind person who understood the value of this Ako tree.  He too believed it was unfortunate to cut down such a rare tree. Even though he had already signed a contract with the owner, he said that if I was willing to buy this tree, he would renegotiate the contract and essentially return this money to the owner. For two days in a row, I was shocked. This time by the kindness of the company’s president who, after a few seconds of reflection, was willing to cancel a contract and return thousands of dollars that he had a right to collect.

Armed with new information and a new ally.  I contacted the real estate agent again, maybe it’s not too late after all. “I’d like to buy your tree.”  We made a new contract, and it took a long time to negotiate and complete procedures, registration etc. However, last Thursday I was able to successfully buy this tree. Along with it came the 220 tsubo (730 sqm) of land that surrounds it as well as a VERY old Japanese-style “kominka” house that the owner had abandoned when he left Goto.

If I hadn’t walked home for lunch on this day, this tree would have disappeared within the next 72 hours. It’s sorta weird to say that I feel “connected” to a tree but it’s true. I’m happy to say that from April 8th, 2021 I became the owner of this Ako tree and I plan to take responsibility for protecting it. Some day, I hope it’ll also be registered as a natural “cultural heritage” of Goto.