To mark the anniversary of the deadly tsunami that ravaged Japan two years ago, the country has decided to turn the last surviving tree from the disaster into a massive sculpture.
When the tsunami hit the coast of Rikuzentakata in the Iwate prefecture, the towering 88-foot ‘miracle’ pine tree was the last tree standing among a forest of 70,000 other trees.
The tree survived for about 18 months after the tsunami, but it eventually died due to high levels of saline in the soil.
The tree was then chopped down and dismantled to create giant molds for the trunk and branches of the sculpture.
The towering monument will be erected at the same location where the tree once stood—to serve as a memorial to the tragic disaster.
[via Colossal and Asahi Shimbun]