"The Old Capital (古都, Koto)[a] is a novel by Japanese writer Yasunari Kawabata first published in 1962.  

It was one of three novels cited by the Nobel Committee in their decision to award Kawabata the 1968 Nobel Prize in Literature."

 

"The Old Capital was first translated into English in 1987 by J. Martin Holman. A revised edition of Holman's translation was published in February 2006" 

 

aging and decline; old culture in the commercial new Japan; the muted expression of strong yet repressed emotion; the role of accident and misunderstanding in shaping lives." 

"painting by Rab-i-Rashidi dating to 1314 CE, depicting the sacred tree of Buddha" 

(superficially similar, unidentified)

 _____

"Cryptomeria  

(literally "hidden parts")  

is a monotypic genus of conifer in the cypress family Cupressaceae. It includes only one species, Cryptomeria japonica (syn. Cupressus japonica L.f.). It used to be considered by some to be endemic to Japan, where it is known as Sugi (杉). 

 The tree is called Japanese cedar or Japanese redwood in English. " 

"Cryptomeria is a very large evergreen tree, reaching up to 70 m (230 ft) tall and 4 m (13 ft) trunk diameter, with red-brown bark which peels in vertical strips. The leaves are arranged spirally, needle-like, 0.5–1 cm (1⁄4–3⁄8 in) long; and the seed cones globular, 1–2 cm (1⁄2–3⁄4 in) diameter with about 20–40 scales. 

 It is superficially similar to the related giant sequoia"

"Sugi is commonly planted around temples and shrines, with many hugely impressive trees planted centuries ago. Sargent (1894;  

The Forest Flora of Japan) recorded the instance of a daimyō (feudal lord) who was too poor to donate a stone lantern at the funeral of the shōgun Tokugawa Ieyasu (1543–1616) at Nikkō Tōshō-gū, but requested instead to be allowed to plant an avenue of sugi, so that "future visitors might be protected from the heat of the sun".  

The offer was accepted; the 

 Cedar Avenue of Nikkō,  

which still exists, is over 65 km (40 mi) long, and "has not its equal in stately grandeur".

"Jōmon Sugi (縄文杉) is a large cryptomeria tree located on Yakushima, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, in Japan.  

It is the oldest and largest among the old-growth cryptomeria trees on the island, and 

 is estimated to be between 

 2,170 

and 7,200 years old."  

"Cryptomeria are often described and referred to in Japanese literature. For instance, cryptomeria forests and their workers, located on the mountains north of Kyoto, are featured in Yasunari Kawabata's famous book The Old Capital."  

Although it is not a single continuous road, the 

 "Cedar Avenue of Nikkō" was listed in the 1996 Guinness Book of World Records as the longest tree-lined avenue in the world. 

It is the only cultural property designated by the Japanese Government as both a Special Historic Site and a Special Natural Monument." 

The project to plant the approaches to Nikkō with cryptomeria was begun by Matsudaira Masatsuna, daimyō of Tamanawa Domain in Sagami Province, and a descendant of a cadet branch of the Matsudaira clan.  

He began donating and planting seedlings brought from Kii Province around the year 1625. The cedar-lined approaches were officially dedicated to Tokugawa Ieyasu in 1648, on his 33rd memorial anniversary, and Matsudaira Masatsuna died later the same year. Memorial stone markers were erected in four locations by his son, who continued the project and, together with later donations, it is estimated that 

 some 200,000 trees were planted. 

 During the Edo period, the trees were managed by the Nikkō bugyō , the magistrate in charge of the Nikkō shrines and temples. After the Meiji Restoration, the trees were endangered by neglect and logging, but an estimated  

12,500 trees survive to this day"