MIRACLE PINE TREE O
ne of the many terrifying images of the horrifying earthquake and subsequent tsunami in the Tohoku region of Japan in 2011 is that
of a single pine tree near the beachline, standing undamaged amidst devastating chaos in Rikuzentakata City. Everything around it was destroyed but this Iponmatsu (lone pine tree) stood straight, a beacon of hope for the future. The Japanese came to view the tree, once part of a magnificent forest of some 70,000 pine trees, as a place of pilgrimage, an opportunity to make some sense out of the turmoil surrounding them. Sadly even this pine tree could not
survive for long though. The huge amount of salt in the soil from the tsunami eventually took its toll and this 200-year-old tree, which had given so much hope, had to be cut down. A restoration project was undertaken and the tree is now preserved as a monument at its original place. However, that was just the start of this
story. Several companies and individuals, including our own Royal Windsor Cup
Right: His Holiness Pope Francis blesses the crosses made from the Miracle Pine held by Mr. Tomoki Kaneko, CEO of Kaneko Cord Co., Ltd, and Mr. Dai Matsumoto who leads the Miracle Pine Tree Support Team. Below: Pope Francis meets Mr Kazuhiko Suzuki, Executive Vice President of Out-Sourcing Inc. at the Vatican Embassy in Tokyo
sponsors, Out-Sourcing Inc. collaborated to create three specially designed crosses for Pope Francis and Rikuzentakata City, while 12 other crosses, using different colours in the design which
Image ©Servizio Fotografico Vaticano Image ©Servizio Fotografico Vaticano
EVERYTHING AROUND IT WAS DESTROYED BUT THIS IPONMATSU (LONE PINE TREE) STOOD STRAIGHT, A BEACON OF HOPE FOR THE FUTURE
were presented to other regions, were all made from the cut-down pine wood that had been kept by the City, working under the banner Protect All Life. The design of the crosses reflected the hope that the people of Rikuzentakata City had placed in the tree when it was alive. Measuring approximately 16 centimetres by 9.5 centimetres, both crosses featured the traditional symbols of peace, a dove and an olive branch, drawn out in gold and platinum. So when the Pope visited the Vatican
CEO Mr Haruhiko Doi presents a cross to His Holiness Pope Francis at the Vatican
Embassy in Tokyo
Out-Sourcing's Chairman and
Embassy in Tokyo during his official visit to Japan last winter Chairman Mr Haruhiko Doi, Vice President Mr Kazuhiko Suzuki of Out-Sourcing Inc. and Mr Kinji Manabe, CEO of Out-Sourcing Business Service Inc., along with Mr Tomoki Kaneko, CEO of Kaneko Cord Co., Ltd, who leads the Miracle Pine Tree Support Team, were honoured to present the Pontiff with two miraculous crosses and a special booklet . Pope Francis was also asked to bless them both and he offered up prayers for the disaster-hit region. One cross was given to His Holiness, and the second cross was later presented to the Mayor of Rikuzentakata City, Mayor Futoshi Tobata. This cross will go on permanent display in the very city where the Miracle Pine Tree had once stood so proudly. On receiving this inspirational cross Mayor Tobata said: “I’m deeply moved beyond words. I truly appreciate that Pope Francis cares so much about these affected areas.”
Clockwise from left: A page from the book about the making of the cross that was also presented to the Ponfiff; One of the beautiful crosses created from the wood of the miracle pine. Mayor of Rikuzentakata City, Futoshi Toba and members of the Miracle Pine Tree Support Team
GUARDS POLO CLUB OFFICIAL YEARBOOK 2020 39
Image opposite: ©hit1912/Adobe Stock
Image ©Servizio Fotografico Vaticano
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124 |
Page 125 |
Page 126 |
Page 127 |
Page 128 |
Page 129 |
Page 130 |
Page 131 |
Page 132 |
Page 133 |
Page 134 |
Page 135 |
Page 136 |
Page 137 |
Page 138 |
Page 139 |
Page 140 |
Page 141 |
Page 142 |
Page 143 |
Page 144 |
Page 145 |
Page 146 |
Page 147 |
Page 148 |
Page 149 |
Page 150 |
Page 151 |
Page 152 |
Page 153 |
Page 154 |
Page 155 |
Page 156 |
Page 157 |
Page 158 |
Page 159 |
Page 160 |
Page 161 |
Page 162 |
Page 163 |
Page 164 |
Page 165 |
Page 166 |
Page 167 |
Page 168 |
Page 169 |
Page 170 |
Page 171 |
Page 172 |
Page 173 |
Page 174 |
Page 175 |
Page 176 |
Page 177 |
Page 178 |
Page 179 |
Page 180 |
Page 181 |
Page 182 |
Page 183 |
Page 184 |
Page 185 |
Page 186 |
Page 187 |
Page 188 |
Page 189 |
Page 190 |
Page 191 |
Page 192 |
Page 193 |
Page 194 |
Page 195 |
Page 196 |
Page 197 |
Page 198 |
Page 199 |
Page 200 |
Page 201 |
Page 202 |
Page 203 |
Page 204 |
Page 205 |
Page 206 |
Page 207 |
Page 208 |
Page 209 |
Page 210 |
Page 211 |
Page 212 |
Page 213 |
Page 214 |
Page 215 |
Page 216 |
Page 217 |
Page 218 |
Page 219 |
Page 220 |
Page 221 |
Page 222 |
Page 223 |
Page 224 |
Page 225 |
Page 226 |
Page 227 |
Page 228
