Zelkova tree in the park called Sakanoue-no-keyaki-koen, or “Zelkova Park on the Hill” in NISHIOGI, which is one of the spots What’s Nishiogi guides to. The community in the area fondly calls the tree “Totoro’s Tree”. This nickname has been borrowed from an animated film of international acclaim called “My Neighbor Totoro” directed by Miyazaki Hayao.
The tree is estimated to be over 200 years old. It measures 19 meters tall, 20 meters wide, and 5.5 meters in circumference. The girth is the largest among the living trees in Suginami Ward, and it was designated as the first important landscape in the Ward based on the Landscape Act and related regulations.
This beloved tree survived the risk of being cut down thanks to the enthusiastic protection movement of regional as well as overseas citizens for about two years led by Ms. Yamanaka Keiko, the owner of Café Kanon opposite to the park; as many as 8,648 signed petitions were collected in only two months. These petitions were put in a capsule, and it was buried somewhere in the park.
Why don’t you think of the history looking at the photos hung on the wall in the café while eating its special menu, spicy vegetables and ground meat curried rice? Well, it is also a good idea to remember related scenes of the film sitting on the chair put outside the café with its own special drink, bayberry enzyme juice.
トトロの樹
ボランティアガイドグループWhat’s Nishiogiのガイドスポットの一つ、西荻北地区「坂の上のけやき公園」にあるケヤキの巨木。宮崎駿監督の有名なアニメーション映画「となりのトトロ」にちなんで「トトロの樹」とも愛称されている。
樹齢は推定200年以上。高さ約19m、広さ20ｍ四方、幹回りは約5.5ｍと杉並区内最大で、2016年9月、景観法等に基づく区内第1号の「景観重要樹木」に指定された。
この巨木は、向かいの「カフェカノン」の店長・山中啓倭子さんを中心とする地域市民の約2年間にわたる熱烈な保護運動の結果、伐採を免れた。この運動には、海外の市民からも多くの署名が寄せられ、2か月で8,648名もの存続希望の署名が集まった。その署名の束はタイムカプセルに収められ、この公園のどこかに埋められている。
こうした歴史を、カフェご自慢の「野菜とひき肉のスパイスカレー」を食しつつ室内のパネルで偲ぶもよし、店先の椅子に座って特製の「山桃酵素ジュース」を飲みながら、目の前の巨木を通してしばしアニメの世界に思いをはせるもよし。
