The symbol of the Japanese concern "Hitachi", one of the largest manufacturers of electronics and technology, a tree with a huge crown, actually exists, but does not grow in Japan. And this is not just a representative of the species, but a specific plant, which is more than 100 years old and which is protected by law.
They call it that - the Hitachi tree, it has been considered a symbol of the company's prosperity since 1973. The tree is located in Moanalua Park in Honolulu, Hawaii.
Moanalua: a Hawaiian park planted by a Scottish gardener
Moanalua Park is part of the history of Honolulu, formerly the capital of the Kingdom of Hawaii. In 1884, a large tract of land that once belonged to the first royal dynasty of Hawaii, Kamehameha, was inherited by Samuel Damon, a wealthy Hawaiian businessman.
Samuel Damon rebuilt and settled in Prince Lot's cottage, the summer residence of the last Crown Prince of the family. After a trip to the UK, where he admired gardens and parks, the art of English gardeners, Damon thought about creating an original park on his estate. He meets the landscape designer McIntyre in Edinburgh and invites him to Honolulu.
Hawaii is halfway from America to Asia. McIntyre was to create a multi-faceted park, using mostly local plant material. Damon wanted to preserve the distinctiveness of the Hawaiian corner of nature and add to it the achievements of Asian park culture.
For the Hawaiian side of the park, a local straw hut was rebuilt and several more were built. Specialists from Japan and China were invited to build the Japanese and Chinese pavilions. The park became a favorite walking spot for Honolulu residents, and festive events were held here.
Samuel Damon was a banker, his bank financed the construction of the first railway on the island. The first stop on the route from Honolulu was Moanalua Park, which increased the flow of visitors.
After Damon's death, plots of land on his estate were slowly sold by heirs, the park was reduced. The latest sale of high-rise buildings already threatened park buildings. In the middle of the 20th century, the park again needed a landscape designer. Paul Weissich, with the utmost care, moved the 19th century park buildings to the rest of the territory, renovated them and built a traditional Chinese pond in front of the Chinese Hall with colorful koi carps. Weissich also renewed the vegetation of the park, leaving the trees planted by McIntyre.
Honolulu is the center of world tourism, and now there is no need to artificially attract visitors to Moanalua Park: tourists are well aware of it. The park became famous for the Hawaiian hula dance festival, which was once banned under pressure from the Christian church. And most importantly, the Hitachi tree grows here, and every Japanese tourist is simply obliged to take a picture against its background.
Hitachi tree: not blooming, but very cash
One of the trees planted by McIntyre is the adobe albicia, a bean tree. It is also sometimes called monkey pod, because monkeys love to feast on these beans. The tree, loved by the Hitachi company, is 25 meters high, has a huge domed crown, casting a shadow with a diameter of 40 meters.
The tree is over 130 years old and for Hitachi it has become a symbol of vitality and prosperity. Interestingly, Hitachi chose the image of the tree not at the time of flowering (albitsia blooms very beautifully and luxuriantly), but a bright green crown. The Japanese believe that the Hitachi mascot brings him good luck - the Hitachi conglomerate has grown to 110 large companies and is making huge profits.
But Hitachi also takes care of his talisman. Moanalua Park receives 400,000 $ annually from the concern, which covers 2/3 of the cost of maintaining the entire park. The tree is protected by a special law, according to which it can only be cut down with the permission of the authorities of Honolulu.
