下北を代表する木、とアンケートすれば100％ヒバだろう。青森ヒバなどと言うが津軽地方にはヒバは多くない。ヒバの名産地は何と言っても下北半島だろう。私の実家もヒバ山を持ち、それを製材して売り、そうやって祖父や父は私たちを養ってきた。いわばヒバを食べ、その芳香を吸って私は育ってきたようなものだ。その意味で何が何でもヒバをナンバーワンに挙げなければならない義理が私にはある。けれど、私は敢えてここで「ヤシャブシ」を挙げる。
If we have a questionnaires survey in Japan as what is the tree of representative Shimokita , it must be “Hiba ” trees that wii get 100 ％ of votes. As famous “Aomori-hiba” , but Hiba lives in Tugaru area in Aomori pref a little. It is the best location of product is Shimokita. My grand and my father have brought up our family by keeping Hiba forests and selling those trees. In a sense, it looks like that I heve grown up by eating “Hiba” trees and brething its beautiful perfume. So I know that I have to push it up as Nunber 1 of the tree of Shimokita. However , I’d like to nominate “Yasyabushi” as No, 1 in this time.※”Hiba” is a kind of “Hinoki ” trees. This kind of tree is valued at the best of woods from the old time in Japan.
ヤシャブシはどんな荒れ地にも生える強い木だ。この木が生えることによって土壌は安定し、次のステップに入ることが出来る。ヤシャブシはグネグネと曲がり、建築材として強度も無く、何の役にも立たないどころか、開発を邪魔する木だと地元では嫌われているほどだ。けれど、よく考えてみればヤシャブシは荒れ地への斬り込み隊長であるともいえる。ある意味では次世代への捨て石に徹する木。人間に例えてみれば、私などには及びもつかぬ偉い奴だなあ、という畏敬の念を私の胸に巻き起こす木でもある。
“Yashabushi” is very strong trees lived in all kind of the wasteland. The soil of damp ground is stabilised by this tree that live in. That wasteland will be good condition for people’s usu. However this tree itself is not only completely usufull at timber, but it also interrut grow other plant’s up. So it has been hatred by local people. Howevew, from the other point of view, Yashabushi is like a pioneer of opening bushes. So I feel like to respect it.
