Lost Forests

At "Mt.Zizo" in the Zao mountain range in Yamagata Prefecture,Japan a rare winter phenomenon called "Juhyo" can be seen. "Juhyo" is called "Snow Monster" because of its unusual shape. They are created by westerlies causing humid and strong winds and a lot of snow, and snow and ice repeatedly blowing on "Abies mariesii", a type of fir tree peculiar to Japan. Currently, due to the outbreak of longhorn beetles and moths, almost all Abies mariesii have died in the entire altitude of several hundred meters near the summit of Mt.Zizo. The temperature in Yamagata has risen by 2 degrees Celsius compared to 80 years ago. This is due to global warming, where temperatures continue to rise. The amount of snow has decreased, the size of "Juhyo" has decreased year by year, and the number of collapses has increased due to sudden storms and rain. In harsh natural environments at high altitudes, the threats posed by global warming, climate change, tourism development and deforestation are sometimes pronounced. People have lived with nature. While humans threaten nature, others are working to restore these trees. Through this series, I continue to explore the relationship between nature and humans.