Pollarded ginkgo trees along the Linac at KEK
(Posted: May 5th, 2026)
I remember when I came to the KEK Photon Factory for an experiment this past March, the ginkgo trees along the Linac had already been stripped of their branches, leaving them completely bare. Back then, in the early days of spring, the surroundings were still a dormant yellow, so they didn't seem particularly out of place.
But now that May has arrived and the rest of the world has put on its green mantle, these bare trunks stand out starkly. Yet, if you look closely, you can still spot a few fresh green shoots emerging from the trunks here and there, as if testifying to the world the incredible resilience of life.
Winding back the clock to early December 2023, this place was a world of gold. When a gust of wind blew, the golden leaves, both from the trees and the ground, would go swirling through the air. Of course, while the golden ginkgo leaves are visually stunning, the smell of the fallen, rotted ginkgo fruit is another story. Just imagining it can pull you right back to the moment the photo was taken. It is as if the scent wafts out from the picture itself, lingering in your nostrils for a long time.