What is the oldest tree in Tsuruoka?
Hagurosan no Jiji Sugi, the grandfather cedar, standing directly beside the stone sando climbing Mt Haguro to the Dewa Sanzan summit shrine. Put at over 1,000 years, 43 metres tall and 8.25 metres round, it is the oldest and thickest cedar on the mountain, including every cedar in the famous avenue beside it. It is the only tree mapped here, published alone under the single-tree exception.
Jiji Sugi used to be half of a pair. Baba Sugi, the grandmother cedar, stood beside him until an 1902 storm brought her down, and he has kept the spot alone since. He is the oldest and largest tree on Mt Haguro, over 1,000 years, 43 metres tall, a trunk 8.25 metres round and roots flaring to 10.5 metres where they grip the slope. That distinction matters because Mt Haguro is covered in old cedars: the Sugi Namiki avenue lining the stone stairway is famous in its own right, and this tree, standing beside it rather than in its ranks, is older and thicker than any cedar in that row, easy to mistake for the best specimen in the avenue if you walk past quickly. He stands directly on the sando between the Zuishinmon gate and the summit shrine of the Dewa Sanzan pilgrimage, so every pilgrim climbing the steps passes within a few metres, no detour and no ticket needed. The bus from Tsuruoka Station stops at Zuishinmon-mae, and from there it is stone steps under cedar shade until the grandfather appears partway up.
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