Asahi-cho Great Ginkgo Tree (Symbol of Recovery from the Utsunomiya Air Raid)

The Asahi-cho Great Ginkgo (旭町の大いちょう) stands at the northwest corner of the intersection of Icho-dori (Ginkgo Street) and Chuo-dori (Central Street/Symbol Road) in what is now Chuo 1-chome, central Utsunomiya City. The tree is approximately 400 years old, stands 33 meters tall with a trunk circumference of 6.2 meters, and its branches extend 10 meters east-west and 13 meters north-south. "Asahi-cho" is the former name of this neighborhood.

On the night of July 12, 1945, when 133 B-29 bombers unleashed 802.9 tons of incendiary bombs on Utsunomiya, the firestorm that consumed approximately 65% of the city center also engulfed this ancient ginkgo. The tree was scorched completely black and appeared to be dead. Eyewitnesses described the scene around the tree as one of total devastation — the surrounding neighborhood of traditional wooden buildings was reduced to ash, and the burned ginkgo stood as a charred skeleton amid the rubble.

However, in the spring of 1946, the blackened tree astonished survivors by sprouting fresh green shoots from its scorched trunk. This seemingly miraculous revival — life emerging from what appeared to be death — transformed the ginkgo into a powerful symbol of hope and recovery for the war-devastated citizens of Utsunomiya. The tree's regrowth coincided with and inspired the city's own reconstruction efforts.

The street on which it stands, Icho-dori (Ginkgo Street), takes its name from this tree. Today, the Great Ginkgo is designated as a Utsunomiya City Natural Monument and protected cultural property. It continues to serve as a living war memorial, visited each year around the July 12 anniversary of the air raid, when citizens gather to reflect on the bombing and the city's resilience.

The Utsunomiya Air Raid of July 12, 1945 was one of 13 bombing operations against the city. Utsunomiya was targeted as a major IJA garrison (14th and 51st Divisions) and industrial center housing Nakajima Aircraft's Utsunomiya Works. The raid killed over 620 civilians, injured approximately 1,150, and destroyed 9,490 buildings. The city was also strafed by P-51 fighters on July 28, 30, and August 13, 1945.