Sparkling Tree of Life

Now that’s what I call a Christmas tree... 

The port of Kobe is celebrating 150 years so what better way to mark the season than with a 150 year old, 98 foot tall Christmas tree. 

Officially, its not really for Christmas, it is to mark the recovery the city has made since it was devastated by the Great Hanshin Earthquake in 1995. Despite this, Kobe city is going for the world record for the greatest number of christmas ornaments. The ornaments are made form reflective material, rather like a CD, on which messages can be written. 

The asunaro tree was dug up from a forest in Toyama prefecture and transported to Kobe using vehicles used to move shinkansen (bullet trains) and rockets.  Once finished the tree will be chopped up and turned into 2cm wooden balls that will be attached to rubber bracelets and sold for 3000 yen as an Asunaro Bangle Fruit of Success.